Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Second victim syndrome (SVS) is described as when health care providers encounter significant moral distress after traumatic patient care events. Although broadly recognized in medicine, this remains underrecognized in surgery and no systemic approaches exist to mitigate potential harms of SVS amongst surgeons. When SVS is left unaddressed, surgeons not only suffer personal psychological harm but their ability to care for future patients can also be compromised. The aim was to examine surgeons' perceptions and attitudes regarding mitigation of SVS. ⋯ Surgeons agreed that healthcare organizations have a moral imperative to assist surgeons in navigating the psychosocial impacts of SVS after adverse surgical outcomes. The success of mitigation strategies was viewed as ethically relevant to patients and surgeons and dependent on the culture, tenor, and tone of the process.