ReviewUpdates in surgery2026
Surgery on the edge: shaping the future between motivation, burnout, and gender inequities-a narrative review.
Review in Updates in surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
A growing crisis of surgical vocation has emerged worldwide, characterized by declining interest in general surgery, increasing attrition during training, and persistent workforce shortages. Burnout has been identified as a central driver of this phenomenon, interacting with generational changes, training intensity, and gender disparities. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on burnout in surgery and its relationship with workforce dynamics, generational expectations, and structural determinants, including surgical training pathways and gender-related barriers. Burnout affects approximately 40-70% of surgeons and trainees, with higher prevalence among younger physicians and women. Emotional exhaustion and depersonalization are the most prominent dimensions, driven by excessive workload, administrative burden, poor work-life integration, high training intensity and workplace culture. These factors negatively influence patient safety, team performance, and career sustainability. Generational shifts have redefined professional expectations, with greater emphasis on work-life balance and long-term sustainability. Persistent gender disparities further impact access to mentorship, career progression, and leadership opportunities, contributing to workforce instability. Italian data reflect similar trends, with underrepresentation in senior roles and ongoing challenges in training pathways. In the 2025 Italian national residency selection cycle, 247 of 662 General Surgery contracts remained unassigned, corresponding to an unassigned rate of 37.3%, highlighting the relevance of workforce instability in a publicly funded healthcare system. The crisis of surgical vocation is a multifactorial and systemic issue. Addressing burnout requires coordinated multilevel strategies, integrating individual, institutional, and policy-level interventions. Improving the quality and sustainability of surgical training, while promoting inclusive and supportive professional environments, is essential to ensure the future of the surgical workforce.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42390786What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.