This week, we welcome Mr Tim O’Brien and Professor Kevin Turner to discuss the important topic of surgeon wellbeing after adverse events. In this episode - titled: “Surgeons as the second casualty” - we explore a spectrum of engrossing personal experiences, from two distinguished consultant urological surgeons, to exciting new developments in surgeon wellbeing research. 

We discuss the impact of both errors and complications on surgeons, mechanisms to better prepare surgeons, and the wider implications on the surgical team. We expand on Kevin’s recently published article (“Surgery Harms Surgeons. What Can We Do?” J Urol https://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002861) in some gripping discussion on the individual and systematic approaches to enhancing surgeon wellbeing when these events occur. We also reflect upon the RCS England recommendations for supporting surgeons after adverse events (https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/standards-and-research/standards-and-guidance/good-practice-guides/supporting-surgeons-after-adverse-events/), which aims to offer guidance to surgeons - and their institutions - in the better preparing for, and subsequently managing, the consequences of such significant events.

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