Rates Of Cursing During 100 Operations, By Specialty

Dr.Scorpiowoman · Jul 25, 2024

The medical field is filled with stories about surgeons using colorful language in the operating theater. Despite the many anecdotes, a Medline search using terms like "swear," "swearing," "foul language," and "blasphemy" over the past 20 years revealed no relevant articles on this subject.

Investigating the Myth of Swearing Surgeons
To understand the extent of foul language use by surgeons, a study was conducted at a single hospital. One hundred consecutive elective operations under general anesthesia were observed for instances of swearing by the operating surgeon. The surgeon was unaware that a swearing score was being kept during surgery, recorded consistently by the same person (OJW). Additional data collected included the surgical specialty, operation duration, and type of foul language used. Swear words were classified into three categories: mild (e.g., "God," "bloody hell," "bugger"), moderate (e.g., "sht," "pss"), and severe (e.g., "f***," "c***," "b***ard"), with points assigned accordingly.

Materials, Methods, and Results
The study covered 100 operations across five surgical specialties, totaling 80 hours and 30 minutes of operating time. Ninety-four swearing points were recorded, averaging one point every 51.4 minutes. Swearing rates varied by specialty, with orthopedic surgeons scoring the highest at 16.5 points per eight-hour operating day, followed by general surgeons (10.6 points), gynecologists (10 points), and urologists (3.1 points). Ear, nose, and throat surgeons had the lowest rate, barely exceeding one "bugger" over eight hours.

Commentary on Swearing in Surgery
The findings reveal that surgeons do swear during operations, with significant variation among specialties. Orthopedic surgeons averaged one swear point every 29 minutes, nearly double the overall rate. General surgeons and gynecologists also showed a notable frequency of swearing, though gynecologists' higher rate might be influenced by a smaller sample size. Ear, nose, and throat surgeons, on the other hand, displayed minimal swearing, averaging almost five hours of operation without any obscenity.

Factors Influencing Swearing Patterns
Determining the reasons behind different swearing rates is challenging. The length of operations could be a factor, with orthopedic procedures averaging 51.7 minutes compared to 34.4 minutes for ear, nose, and throat surgeries. Despite shorter average durations, gynecological procedures (37.2 minutes) still had a significant likelihood of swearing. The complexity of orthopedic tools might contribute to higher swearing rates. Additionally, the impact of a surgeon's language on career progression remains an intriguing, unanswered question.

Broader Implications and Future Research
The study's scope was limited to elective surgeries, suggesting that more frequent swearing might occur during out-of-hours operations. The rise in routine surgeries performed under local and regional anesthesia might enforce some restraint in surgical language. As we enter a new era, it raises the question of whether surgeons should resolve to curb swearing in the operating room or maintain it as a unique aspect of surgical tradition.

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Julie Gutke · Sep 16, 2016

Nada El Garhy said: ↑

The medical profession is rich with anecdotes about surgeons, many of national and international repute, using colourful language in the operating theatre. Legend has it that the language of the mildest mannered and pious surgeon, once he or she is gowned and gloved, undergoes a transformation. However, a Medline search of the past 20 years using the search words “swear,” “swearing,” “foul language,” and “blasphemy” produced no relevant articles on the subject.

We therefore assessed to what extent the use of foul language by surgeons is a myth. We also tried to identify the surgical specialties where swearing is most common.

Materials, methods, and results

One hundred consecutive elective operations under general anaesthesia performed at a single hospital were assessed for the incidence of swearing by the operating surgeon. Without the surgeon's knowledge a swearing score was kept during surgery. The scoring was always undertaken by the same person (OJW). Other data recordedcomprised the specialty of the surgeon, the length of the operation, and the type of foul language used. The swear words were classified into three groups, with points assigned to each swear word to reflect its strength: heaven and hell (such as “God,” “bloody hell,” “bugger”), 1 point; bodily products (such as “sh*t,” “p*ss”), 2 points; so called four letter words (such as “f***,” “c***,” “b***ard”) 3 points.

For strings of swear words, the highest scoring obscenity alone was counted. To guarantee the anonymity of surgeons, no distinction was made between their grade and sex. The swear rate was calculated from the total operating time and total scores for each specialty.

The 100 operations from five surgical specialties totalled 80 hours 30 minutes' operating time. Ninety four swearing points were scored, with an average of one point scored every 51.4 minutes. Different surgical specialties had different swearing rates (figure). Rates for a typical eight hour operating day were 16.5 swearing points from the orthopaedic surgeons and 10.6, 10, and 3.1 from the general surgeons, gynaecologists, and urologists respectively. In contrast, during eight hours of ear, nose, and throat surgery, little more than one “bugger!” is likely (figure).

Comment

Surgeons do swear when operating but the rate differs by specialty. Orthopaedic surgeons on average register one swear point every 29 minutes, almost twice as often as surgeons overall. Although orthopaedic surgeons triumph in the field of foul language, general surgeons are by no means without sin, being only slightly less foul mouthed than their orthopaedic colleagues. Gynaecologists also seem anything but angelic but may have been penalised by a small sample size of operating time. The 95% confidence interval shows that gynaecologists may actually use more foul language than general surgeons. Meanwhile the mild mannered ear, nose, and throat surgeons contribute little, with nearly five hours of operating time on average without any obscenity.

The reasons for the differential swearing pattern is difficult to establish. The brevity of the operations in some specialties may be a determinant. The orthopaedic operations lasted an average of 51.7 minutes, compared with 34.4 minutes per ear, nose, and throat operation. However, the average gynaecological procedure lasted just 37.2 minutes—during which time there was nevertheless a good chance of hearing an expletive. Does the use of complicated orthopaedic tools encourage bad language in the theatre? Does the good or bad language of a surgeon lead to a greater or lesser chance of career progression, depending on the specialty? Unanswered questions for the next millennium.

Given that the operations were elective, this may be the tip of the iceberg as even more foul language might occur in out of hours operating. However, the increasing practice of routine surgery under local and regional anaesthesia may already be enforcing some restraint of the surgical tongue. Is perhaps 1 January 2000 a good time for surgeons to resolve to stop swearing in theatre, or should we not surrender one of the last bastions of surgical tradition and privilege?

Rates of swearing during 100 operations, by specialty

Source
Click to expand...

Nada El Garhy said: ↑

The medical profession is rich with anecdotes about surgeons, many of national and international repute, using colourful language in the operating theatre. Legend has it that the language of the mildest mannered and pious surgeon, once he or she is gowned and gloved, undergoes a transformation. However, a Medline search of the past 20 years using the search words “swear,” “swearing,” “foul language,” and “blasphemy” produced no relevant articles on the subject.

We therefore assessed to what extent the use of foul language by surgeons is a myth. We also tried to identify the surgical specialties where swearing is most common.

Materials, methods, and results

One hundred consecutive elective operations under general anaesthesia performed at a single hospital were assessed for the incidence of swearing by the operating surgeon. Without the surgeon's knowledge a swearing score was kept during surgery. The scoring was always undertaken by the same person (OJW). Other data recordedcomprised the specialty of the surgeon, the length of the operation, and the type of foul language used. The swear words were classified into three groups, with points assigned to each swear word to reflect its strength: heaven and hell (such as “God,” “bloody hell,” “bugger”), 1 point; bodily products (such as “sh*t,” “p*ss”), 2 points; so called four letter words (such as “f***,” “c***,” “b***ard”) 3 points.

For strings of swear words, the highest scoring obscenity alone was counted. To guarantee the anonymity of surgeons, no distinction was made between their grade and sex. The swear rate was calculated from the total operating time and total scores for each specialty.

The 100 operations from five surgical specialties totalled 80 hours 30 minutes' operating time. Ninety four swearing points were scored, with an average of one point scored every 51.4 minutes. Different surgical specialties had different swearing rates (figure). Rates for a typical eight hour operating day were 16.5 swearing points from the orthopaedic surgeons and 10.6, 10, and 3.1 from the general surgeons, gynaecologists, and urologists respectively. In contrast, during eight hours of ear, nose, and throat surgery, little more than one “bugger!” is likely (figure).

Comment

Surgeons do swear when operating but the rate differs by specialty. Orthopaedic surgeons on average register one swear point every 29 minutes, almost twice as often as surgeons overall. Although orthopaedic surgeons triumph in the field of foul language, general surgeons are by no means without sin, being only slightly less foul mouthed than their orthopaedic colleagues. Gynaecologists also seem anything but angelic but may have been penalised by a small sample size of operating time. The 95% confidence interval shows that gynaecologists may actually use more foul language than general surgeons. Meanwhile the mild mannered ear, nose, and throat surgeons contribute little, with nearly five hours of operating time on average without any obscenity.

The reasons for the differential swearing pattern is difficult to establish. The brevity of the operations in some specialties may be a determinant. The orthopaedic operations lasted an average of 51.7 minutes, compared with 34.4 minutes per ear, nose, and throat operation. However, the average gynaecological procedure lasted just 37.2 minutes—during which time there was nevertheless a good chance of hearing an expletive. Does the use of complicated orthopaedic tools encourage bad language in the theatre? Does the good or bad language of a surgeon lead to a greater or lesser chance of career progression, depending on the specialty? Unanswered questions for the next millennium.

Given that the operations were elective, this may be the tip of the iceberg as even more foul language might occur in out of hours operating. However, the increasing practice of routine surgery under local and regional anaesthesia may already be enforcing some restraint of the surgical tongue. Is perhaps 1 January 2000 a good time for surgeons to resolve to stop swearing in theatre, or should we not surrender one of the last bastions of surgical tradition and privilege?

Rates of swearing during 100 operations, by specialty

Source
Click to expand...

OMG, you forgot Neurosursurgery!!! That would change your statistics.

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Rates Of Cursing During 100 Operations, By Specialty

Dr.Scorpiowoman Golden Member

Julie Gutke Young Member

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Rates Of Cursing During 100 Operations, By Specialty

Dr.Scorpiowoman Golden Member

Julie Gutke Young Member

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