How much time do surgeons spend in surgery?

A surgeon's shift may be anywhere from 12 to 28 hours long. In emergency situations or public health crises, their shifts may be longer. To make up for their long shifts, surgeons often work less than six days a week, with an average weekly schedule of four days.

How many hours does a surgeon work in a day?

After training, the average general surgeon works 50-60 hours per week (not including time available for call). Depending on the practice situation chosen, you can be on call as much as all the time (if in private solo practice) to once a week (if in a large group practice).

Do surgeons have any free time?

While some physicians pick a career that gives them a lot a free time to pursue many activities, most surgeons don't have a lot of free time.

How do surgeons stay in surgery for so long?

A different team of surgeons scrubs into the operating room for each stage, most of which take only a few hours to complete. That way, most of the surgeons don't end up working for more than four or five hours in a row. The lead surgeons try to stay involved for the duration.

How many hours is a typical surgery?

It does vary. Mine took 9 hours but I've read posts from AN surgery patients that took under 4 hours and a few that went much longer. I'd say 8 hours is average but we'll see what the consensus is.

Day in the Life: Heart Surgeon



What age does a surgeon retire?

Age is just a number

According to data from the American Medical Association, many surgeons continue to practice beyond the “standard” retirement age of 65.

Do surgeons get breaks during surgery?

Anesthesiologists regularly take breaks during operations, whereas surgeons do so more rarely.

What is the longest surgery ever?

Longest Surgery -- 47 Hours

A Des Moines man whose recent 47-hour operation for a congenital defect in the arteries set a world record, was listed in stable condition. James Boydston, 24, underwent surgery at the Veterans Administration Hospital and physicians and relatives describe his recovery as a "miracle."

What surgery takes the longest?

An emergency exploratory laparotomy was the longest procedure among all analysed, with anesthesia duration of 980 minutes, that is, 4.2 times the mean, and the operation took 880 minutes – 5.7-fold the mean.

Do surgeons work 7 days a week?

A surgeon's shift may be anywhere from 12 to 28 hours long. In emergency situations or public health crises, their shifts may be longer. To make up for their long shifts, surgeons often work less than six days a week, with an average weekly schedule of four days.

Can surgeons have a life?

Can you be a surgeon and have a rich and fulfilling life? You can, but it depends on how you define rich and fulfilling. Skeptical Scalpel is a retired surgeon and was a surgical department chairman and residency program director for many years.

How many patients do surgeons see a day?

According to a 2018 survey by the Physicians Foundation, doctors on average work 51 hours a week and see 20 patients a day. Almost a quarter of their time is taken up with nonclinical (and frustrating) paperwork.

What type of doctor has the best hours?

The specialties with the highest average annual hours were vascular surgery, critical care, neonatal and perinatal medicine, thoracic surgery, and other surgical subspecialties.

What are 5 things that surgeons do?

Surgeon duties and responsibilities
  • Collect the patient's medical history.
  • Keep the chart and patient information up to date with current test results and treatments.
  • Order new tests to be performed by healthcare staff.
  • Review test results to identify and diagnose medical conditions.
  • Develop treatment plans for patient care.


What are benefits of being a surgeon?

If you're considering a career as a surgeon, here are 12 benefits of the occupation:
  • You can save lives. ...
  • It's lucrative. ...
  • It's a respected position. ...
  • It's exciting. ...
  • You can make advancements in the field. ...
  • It's challenging. ...
  • You learn a lot about science. ...
  • You can specialize in an area that interests you.


How many surgeries does a surgeon do a year?

The average numbers of procedures per surgeon per year was 398, distributed as follows: abdomen 102, alimentary tract 63, breast 54, endoscopic 51, vascular 39, trauma 6, endocrine 4, and head and neck, 3. Eleven percent of the 398 procedures were performed laparoscopically.

How do surgeons hold their pee?

The surgeon creates a “sling” out of mesh or human tissue. Then they put it under the tube that urine passes through, called the urethra. The sling is like a hammock that lifts and supports your urethra and the neck of your bladder (where your bladder connects to your urethra) to help prevent leaks.

What are the top 5 major surgeries?

Top 5 surgical procedures
  • Angioplasty (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention - PCI)
  • Knee Replacement.
  • Hip Replacement.
  • Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.


What is the shortest surgery time?

Operative Time

Hand-assisted procedures had the shortest mean operative times, varying from approximately 2.5 to 4 hours.

What is the most riskiest surgery?

Each of the top five most inherently dangerous surgeries has its unique problems that include:
  • Open-Heart Surgery. ...
  • Liver Transplants. ...
  • Brain Surgery. ...
  • Cancer Removal Procedures. ...
  • Intestine Transplant. ...
  • Medical Advancements Make Surgery Safer.


Which is the most difficult surgery?

7 of the most dangerous surgeries
  • Craniectomy. A craniectomy involves removing a fraction of the skull to relieve pressure on the brain. ...
  • Thoracic aortic dissection repair. ...
  • Oesophagectomy. ...
  • Spinal osteomyelitis surgery. ...
  • Bladder cystectomy. ...
  • Gastric bypass. ...
  • Separation of conjoined twins.


Who is best surgeon in the world?

20 Most Innovative Surgeons Alive Today
  • Denton Cooley, MD, Cardiovascular Surgery. ...
  • Russell M. ...
  • Gazi Yasargil, MD, Neurosurgery. ...
  • Thomas Starzl, MD, PhD, Transplant Surgery. ...
  • Jean-Michel Dubernard, MD, Transplant Surgery. ...
  • Robert F. ...
  • Syed Modasser Ali, FRCS, Ophthalmology. ...
  • Ioannis Pallikaris, MD, Ophthalmology.


What do female surgeons do when they have their period?

Dr Peta Wright clears this one up succinctly, “having your period doesn't matter”. It can be awkward, sure, but realistically it won't affect your procedure and your surgeon is plenty used to seeing blood!

Do surgeons listen to music?

90% of all surgeons listen to music while they're performing surgery, and the rise of streaming is reflected in the fact that 89% of those prefer playlists rather than albums. According to Spotify 49% of surgeons listen to rock in the theatre, with pop music the second most at 48%.

Can a surgeon leave the operating room?

Procedure-Related Tasks

A primary attending surgeon may have to leave the operating room for a procedure-related task, such as review of pertinent pathology (“frozen section”) and diagnostic imaging, discussion with the patient's family, and breaks during long procedures.