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Stress in the operating room doesn't have to derail a surgeon's career. At the AAO annual meeting, ophthalmologist Dr. Erin Seefeldt laid out a practical, trainable framework for managing surgical stress — from identifying personal "tells" to resetting mid-procedure and mentally closing the loop after tough cases. With 37% of U.S. ophthalmologists reporting burnout, these strategies couldn't come at a better time.
Burnout among ophthalmologists is a real and growing problem, with 37% of U.S. surgeons reporting symptoms in a survey of 592 participants. But according to Dr. Erin Seefeldt, founder of Physician Performance Lab, the antidote isn't just resilience — it's a structured, practiced skill set that can be applied before, during, and after surgery.
Speaking at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting, Seefeldt outlined a step-by-step approach: first, identify your personal stress "tells" (ask your OR team if you're unsure); then develop a reset plan — a controlled breath, a jaw release, or a shoulder shrug — to return to your "target energy." Music playlists, brief writing exercises, and mental rehearsal can all help surgeons enter the OR in the right headspace. When complications arise, the key is an unemotional pivot: reframe the situation as simply moving from "surgery A" to "surgery B." After a tough case, debrief, then deliberately close the loop and move on.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Surgical stress doesn't just affect the surgeon — it ripples through the entire OR team and can impact patient outcomes. Practical, trainable stress management tools give surgeons a real path to sustaining their careers and performing at their best.
