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The Role of Physiology and the Surgeon’s State of Mind in the Surgical Decision-Making Process

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Surgical Decision Making

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Abstract

The surgeon is like the captain of a complex ship that often travels and navigates through some rough waters. Just like with any other leadership position, such as those associated with a business organization, flying an aircraft, a military unit or squadron, or even a sports team, a lot depends on this one person. The direction in which how he or she will steer the ship, which in this case represents the operating theater, through the dangerous and sometimes uncharted seas between life and death, will have substantial effects on everyone involved with the voyage. The difference between the realities of an operating theater and this wrecked ship metaphor is if things go wrong, the only one who is lost and never returns home is the patient. The aim of this chapter is attempt to understand the role of physiology and surgeon’s state of mind on surgical decision-making.

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Acknowledgements

There are no identifiable conflicts of interests to report.

The authors have no financial or proprietary interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, 100 Woods Road, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA

    Rifat Latifi M.D., F.A.C.S.

  2. Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Rifat Latifi M.D., F.A.C.S.

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  1. Rifat Latifi M.D., F.A.C.S.
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Correspondence to Rifat Latifi M.D., F.A.C.S. .

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Latifi, R. (2016). The Role of Physiology and the Surgeon’s State of Mind in the Surgical Decision-Making Process. In: Surgical Decision Making. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29824-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29824-5_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-29822-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-29824-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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