Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 Feb;467(2):402-11.
doi: 10.1007/s11999-008-0587-7. Epub 2008 Oct 31.

The problem of the aging surgeon: when surgeon age becomes a surgical risk factor

Ralph B Blasier  1
Affiliations

The problem of the aging surgeon: when surgeon age becomes a surgical risk factor

Ralph B Blasier. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2009 Feb.

Abstract

The question of when a surgeon should retire has been the subject of debate for decades. Both anecdotal evidence and objective testing of surgeons suggest age causes deterioration in physical and cognitive performance. Medical education, residency and fellowship training, and technology evolve at a rapid pace, and the older a surgeon is, the more likely it is he or she is remote from his or her initial education in his or her specialty. Research also shows surgeons are reluctant to plan for retirement. Although there is no federally mandated retirement age for surgeons in the United States, surgeons must realize their skills will decline, a properly planned retirement can be satisfying, and the retired surgeon has much to offer the medical and teaching community.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

References

    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PMC', 'value': 'PMC3015286', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3015286/'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '9876732', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9876732/'}]}
    2. Ahmad S, Lettsome L, Schuricht A. The role of laparoscopy in the management of groin hernia. JSLS. 1998;2:169–173. - PMC - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '11379424', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11379424/'}]}
    2. Baratham G. 11th Chapter of Surgeons Lecture—the art of letting go. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2001;30:89–92. - PubMed
    1. Boothman R. Wayne State University Law School Lecture; Oct 27, 2005; Detroit, MI.
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1001/jama.250.6.757', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.250.6.757'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '6876330', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6876330/'}]}
    2. Bunkin IA. When does a surgeon retire? JAMA. 1983;250:757–758. - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1046/j.0007-1323.2001.02027.x', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0007-1323.2001.02027.x'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '11872059', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11872059/'}]}
    2. Callaghan CJ, Couto E, Kerin MJ, Rainsbury RM, George WD, Purushotham AD. Breast reconstruction in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Br J Surg. 2002;89:335–340. - PubMed