In the operating room surgeon dies of heart attack

Heart attack: Surgeon dies in the operating room

04/19/2014

A 52-year-old surgeon died of a heart attack in an operating room in Portugal. The doctor had prepared for thyroid surgery when he felt a strong chest ache. Colleagues tried to revive him, but without success.

Surgeon dies of heart attack in the operating room
In Portugal, a 52-year-old surgeon died of a heart attack in an operating room on Wednesday. The doctor had just prepared for a thyroid operation on a patient when he felt a strong chest ache. According to colleagues, he said: „I have unbearable pain!“, before he collapsed. Resuscitation measures were unsuccessful.

A sad coincidence
The president of the Portuguese medical association, José Manuel Silva, told the TV channel RTP on Thursday: „Unfortunately, he died in the middle of work.“ As Silva admitted, in the hospital of Aveiro was in the center of the country where the surgeon worked „Atmosphere at the moment very stressful.“ Whether this stress triggered the infarction was not certain. „It is a sad coincidence.“

Surgeons are under stress
That doctors and especially surgeons are increasingly under stress, is reported again and again. Last year, for example, an examination of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Mainz under the direction of Professor Dr. med. Klaus Lieb revealed that around 20 percent of German surgeons have resorted to prescription or illegal drugs at least once to reduce stress and improve their performance. 1,105 German surgeons participated in the study. The physicians justified the consumption among other things with high occupational requirements, irregular working hours, hectic or long shift services. (Ad)