Unlocking Performance Excellence: Review of Evidence-Based Mindful Meditation

Mindfulness has recently been implemented by advanced military combatants, firefighters, as well as other very intellectually demanding and fast-paced professions. A surgeon, similarly, is faced with many difficult challenges. Whether it be a complex and meticulous surgery, extensive clinical responsibilities, or simply the challenges faced in residency. However, in our current curriculums, we are not trained to introspectively deal with these stressors. Regardless of what we face in our personal lives, the lives of patients are literately in our hands. Would it not be prudent and wise, to train our brain to not only deliver care to our patients but to be able to take care of ourselves and maybe even improve our performance? Regular practice of mindfulness has been shown to decrease rates of burnout, decrease medical errors, improve sleep, and even improve surgical performance. With the ever-changing pandemic situation and increasing stressors in the hospital, mindful meditation is perfectly primed to be added to our armamentarium as surgeons and physicians. This review aims to explain how mindfulness can enhance a surgeon's performance, mindset, interactions and execution through a review of recent scientific advancements and evidence.


PMID: 35939647 DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000009500