Surgeons' Mental Distress and Risks After Severe Complications Following Radical Gastrectomy in China: a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Questionnaire

Surgeons experience higher levels of work stress, even under normal circumstances. Many can suffer from substantial levels of mental health issues, especially when faced with severe complications. However, due to a variety of reasons, many surgeons are reluctant to disclose mental health issues or seek psychological help.

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common malignancy globally and accounts for the fourth leading cause of death from cancer. In China specifically, gastric cancer is a major public health issue, with some 400,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Of those cases, more than 80% patients are at advanced stages when diagnosed. At present, radical gastrectomy is considered the standard approach for patients with resectable advanced gastric cancer. Severe complications following radical gastrectomy ranged from 2.7% to 9.4% worldwide. In addition to delaying patients' recovery courses, severe complications also place enormous pressure on chief surgeons who performed the operations. Such pressures may bring great risks of psychological distress.

Surgeons are also the victims when they encounter severe complications following radical gastrectomy. Their mental distress should not be minimized. Until now, little has been known about the effects of surgical complications on surgeons. In the current study, based on a large-scale questionnaire survey in China, the investigators aimed to investigate incidences of surgeons' mental distress following severe complications after radical gastrectomy. The investigators also aimed to identify independent risk factors which could help develop strategies to improve the mental well-being of these surgeons after such incidences.