ABSTRACT
Introduction: The career of the surgeon is challenging, and scientific research has identified a prevalence of burnout in approximately 1/3 of plastic surgeons. The data on well-being and factors associated with greater happiness available specifically to plastic surgery are inconsistent and limited.
Objective: To evaluate the happiness of plastic surgeons in São Paulo and which factors are associated with greater happiness. Method: This was a primary, observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study. An online survey was conducted using a validated instrument, the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), which was sent to members of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery-São Paulo (SBCP-SP) from December 2020 to July 2021. Sociodemographic and occupational characteristics were related to the degree of happiness measured.
Results: The response rate was 12.18%, n = 268, with 70.1% males and 29.9% females. The score obtained using the SHS was 5.51 ± 0.13, and the mean score for males was 5.49 and for females was 5.57. A total of 143 (53.36%) of the participants were associate members, and 125 (46.64%) were full members of the SBCP. A total of 177 (66.04%) stated that if they could go back in time, they would choose plastic surgery again as a specialty, 62 (23.13%) perhaps, and 27 (10.82%) said that they would not.
Conclusion: Plastic surgery in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, allows professionals in the specialty to have a career with high levels of happiness, including for females.
Keywords: Surgery, Plastic; Happiness; Personal Satisfaction; Internship and Residency; Quality of Life