General Surgery Faculty Knowledge and Perceptions of Breast Pumping Amongst Postpartum Surgical Residents

Abstract

BackgroundThere is a lack of data regarding the knowledge and perceptions teaching faculty possess about breast pumping among general surgery residents despite breast pumping becoming more common during training. This study aimed to examine faculty knowledge and perceptions of breast pumping amongst general surgery residents.MethodsA 29-question survey measuring knowledge and perceptions about breast pumping was administered online to United States teaching faculty from March–April 2022. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize responses, Fisher’s exact test was used to report differences in responses by surgeon sex and age, and qualitative analysis identified recurrent themes.Results156 responses were analyzed; 58.6% were male and 41.4% were female, and the majority (63.5%) were less than 50 years old. Nearly all (97.7%) women with children breast pumped, while 75.3% of men with children had partners who pumped. Men more often than women indicated “I don’t know” when asked about frequency (24.7 vs. 7.9%, p = 0.041) and duration (25.0 vs. 9.5%, p = 0.007) of pumping. Nearly all surgeons are comfortable (97.4%) discussing lactation needs and support (98.1%) breast pumping, yet only two-thirds feel their institutions are supportive. Almost half (41.0%) of surgeons agreed that breast pumping does not impact operating room workflow. Recurring themes included normalizing breast pumping, creating change to better support residents, and communicating needs between all parties.ConclusionsTeaching faculty may have supportive perceptions about breast pumping, but knowledge gaps may hinder greater levels of support. Opportunities exist for increased faculty education, communication, and policies to better support breast pumping residents.