Are We Working Too Hard?-A Functional Scoring of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Dear Editor, It is no secret that surgeons are subjected (or subject themselves) to long hours at work, be it in the operating theatre, the clinic, the offi ce, or otherwise. Such a lifestyle is likely to result in health problems in the long run. The mental health of doctors has been extensively studied, with many doctors revealing evidence of psychiatric morbidity.1,2 This has implications on both the health of doctors and healthcare in general, as burnout can be associated with poorer performance and increased turnover rate of healthcare workers.3 For orthopaedic surgeons and trainees especially, it was found that there was a high incidence of reported emotional exhaustion, psychological distress, and burnout.4-6 Given the positive correlation with work hours, it is worth exploring whether we face the same problem locally. There have also been surprisingly few studies on the physical health of surgeons. For orthopaedic surgeons, standing long hours in the operating room, applying manual traction, and hammering nails are all part of the job. Such physical demands are sure to take their toll on their health in ways that could possibly be unique to orthopaedic surgeons.7