A multicenter study found that increased physiological stress among surgeons at the start of operations was associated with fewer major surgical complications. The study included 793 surgical procedures performed by 38 attending surgeons across 7 specialties, with the stress levels measured using heart rate variability data. Higher stress levels were associated with reduced major surgical complications, and there were trends toward reduced intensive care unit stays and mortality. The study suggested that some degree of physiological arousal may benefit surgical performance among experienced surgeons.