What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate how female neurosurgeons and cardiothoracic surgeons navigate pregnancy, childbirth, and maternity leave, and to examine how workplace culture impacts their reproductive health.

August 15, 2026Journal of Surgical ResearchOpen Access

Pregnancy, Birth, and Maternity Leave in Neurosurgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery: A Qualitative Study

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To investigate how female neurosurgeons and cardiothoracic surgeons navigate pregnancy, childbirth, and maternity leave, and to examine how workplace culture impacts their reproductive health.
Conducted a qualitative study using semistructured, in-depth interviews with female surgeons in the United States and Canada (N = 22).
Analyzed interview transcripts regarding pregnancy timing, clinical duties, birth, and return to work using an inductive thematic approach.
Nearly half of participants reported pregnancy complications and nearly a quarter reported infant complications, alongside widespread delays in childbearing, infertility, and miscarriage.
Surgeons reported a lack of pregnancy accommodations, leading to concealment of pregnancies and continuation of full clinical duties, including overnight call and operating until labor onset.
Maternity leave lacked structured institutional support, resulting in financial penalties, career stigma, interpersonal hostility, and pressure to return to work early.

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Implication

Qualitative study uncovers severe reproductive and occupational burdens in female neurosurgeons and cardiothoracic surgeons, highlighting an urgent need for institutional leave policies.

Cite This Study

Granek et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a801a0e75c2e31742c8665a https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2026.07.027

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Implication

Qualitative study uncovers severe reproductive and occupational burdens in female neurosurgeons and cardiothoracic surgeons, highlighting an urgent need for institutional leave policies.

Pregnancy, Birth, and Maternity Leave in Neurosurgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery: A Qualitative Study

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Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Pregnancy, Birth, and Maternity Leave in Neurosurgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery: A Qualitative Study

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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