Surgeon Sleep Timing Tied to Risk - Scorecard - MDSpire
Coming Soon: Introducing MDSpire News. Learn more
Conexiant’s news site is now MDSpire News. Learn more

Surgeon Sleep Timing Tied to Risk

Severe social jet lag among surgeons was associated with higher rates of major adverse events, independent of sleep duration, workload, and patient risk.

  • By

  • Andrea Surnit

  • June 3, 2026

  • 5 min

Share

Clinical Scorecard: Surgeon Sleep Timing Tied to Risk

At a Glance

CategoryDetail
ConditionMajor adverse events following surgery
Key MechanismsAssociation between surgeon sleep timing irregularity and postoperative complications
Target PopulationAdult patients undergoing surgery
Care SettingUniversity hospitals

Key Highlights

  • Surgeons with severe social jet lag (≥2 hours) had a 36% higher adjusted risk of major adverse events.
  • Major adverse events occurred in 20% of operations studied.
  • Only 5% of operations were performed by surgeons with severe social jet lag.
  • Midsleep time variability and sleep duration were not independently associated with adverse events.
  • Burnout among surgeons correlated with higher social jet lag and midsleep time variability.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

  • Assess surgeon sleep timing using social jet lag metrics.

Management

  • Consider surgeon sleep regularity as a factor in surgical outcomes.

Monitoring & Follow-up

  • Monitor sleep patterns of surgeons to identify potential risks.

Risks

  • Severe social jet lag is associated with increased risk of major adverse events.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Adult surgical patients excluding palliative and organ donation procedures.

Surgeon sleep timing may influence postoperative outcomes.

Clinical Best Practices

  • Encourage consistent sleep schedules for surgeons.
  • Evaluate surgeon burnout as part of preoperative assessments.
  • Implement monitoring of sleep patterns in surgical teams.

Related Resources & Content

Original Source(s)

Surgeon Sleep Timing Tied to Risk

  • by Andrea Surnit

  • June 3, 2026

Related Content

FDA Approves First Therapy to Reduce Pancreatitis Risk

In two placebo-controlled trials, triglyceride levels declined by up to 72% compared with placebo.

Side Effects: Bro Science, Actually

Creatine's ATP-buffering trick isn't just for biceps. In mice, it juices up dendritic cells' energy supply, sharpening T-cell priming and shrinking tumors on daily injections. Human DCs got the memo too, at least in a dish. Early days, but a fun plot twist for gym-bag chemistry.

Narrow DCIS Margins May Not Always Warrant Reexcision

An ancillary analysis found less than 2-percentage-point differences in 10-year recurrence across margin thresholds, with no statistically significant adjusted association.