Chapter 5: Stress and Surgery

This chapter discusses stress related to surgical procedures. The physiological changes in response to surgical stress depend on multiple factors such as the psychological and physical conditions of patients in the preoperative period and the intensity of the trauma, of the anesthetic technique used and the postoperative care. Thus, it systematically discusses the immune and neuroendocrine response to trauma, the risk factors for preoperative anxiety, the postoperative recovery optimization protocol, pain resilience assessment and the impact of anesthesia and postoperative analgesia on clinical outcomes. Finally, it discusses a subject that is relatively unexplored, namely the stress experienced by surgeons and the healthcare team and the role of the techniques used to stimulate mindfulness.