Results from the cognitive changes and retirement among senior surgeons self-report survey.

BACKGROUND: The Cognitive Changes and Retirement among Senior Surgeons (CCRASS) study suggested that although subjective cognitive awareness may play a role in surgeons' retirement decisions, self-perceived cognitive decline did not predict objective cognitive performance. This article summarizes results from all participants who completed the survey portion of the CCRASS study. STUDY DESIGN: A survey examining subjective cognitive changes, changes in caseload, involvement in new technology, and retirement decisions, was administered to 995 surgeons at annual meetings of the Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons between 2001 and 2006. RESULTS: Forty-five percent reported increased caseload volume and 48% reported increased caseload complexity during the previous 5 years. In addition, 75% and 73% denied any recent changes in memory recall or name recognition, respectively. Increasing age was associated with decreases in clinical caseload and complexity. The majority of respondents across all age groups reported active participation in either learning (64%) or contributing (13%) to new technology in the field. Among surgeons with no imminent plans for retirement, 58% reported that a retirement decision will be based on skill level. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing age was associated with decreases in caseload and case complexity. But a steady proportion of surgeons, even in the oldest age group, are active in new surgical innovations and challenging cases. Most reported no changes in perceived cognitive abilities. The majority of surgeons who had made no decision to retire reported that their decision will be based on skill level rather than age.

Cognitive changes and retirement among senior surgeons (CCRASS): results from the CCRASS Study.

BACKGROUND: Because individuals age cognitively at different rates, there is considerable interest in ways to assure that older surgeons have the physical and mental stamina, coordination, reaction time, and judgment to provide appropriate care. To clarify potential relationships between cognitive changes related to aging, the decision to retire, and changes in patterns of surgical practice, this study aimed to identify specific parameters of cognitive change among senior surgeons. STUDY DESIGN: Computerized cognitive tasks measuring sustained attention, reaction time, visual learning, and memory were administered to 359 surgeons at the annual meetings of the American College of Surgeons over a 6-year period. A self-report survey was also administered to assess subjective cognitive changes and the status of surgical practice and retirement decisions. RESULTS: Expected age-related cognitive decline was demonstrated on all measures, although measured reaction time was notably better than age-appropriate norms. There was a marked relationship between self-reported subjective cognitive change and retirement status, but not to changes in surgical practice. There was no notable relationship, however, between subjective cognitive change and objective cognitive measures. There were marked relationships between age and retirement decision or status and between age and changes in surgical practice. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that although self-perceived cognitive changes play a role in the decision to retire, they are not related to objective measures of cognitive change, and are not reliable in the decision to retire. The development of readily accessible measures of cognitive changes related to aging may serve to assist decisions either to continue surgical practice or to retire.

Surgeons outperform normative controls on neuropsychologic tests, but age-related decay of skills persists.

BACKGROUND: The present study was undertaken to determine if psychomotor and visual-spatial abilities improve as a result of surgical training or are enhanced at baseline in those individuals choosing a surgical career. METHODS: Medical students entering a surgical field and practicing surgeons performed a series of neuropsychologic tests. Performance was compared between surgeon groups, as well as with normative aged-matched controls. RESULTS: An age-related decline was noted in the performance of all exercises, with the medical student group outperforming the midcareer surgeons, who in turn outperformed the senior surgeons. Interestingly, however, all 3 groups significantly outperformed their normative control groups on some or all tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Improved visual memory and psychomotor performance compared with normative controls appears to be present at baseline rather than resulting from surgical training. Decline in performance with age is observed, however, and this should be considered when an older surgeon is learning new visually complex procedures.