Operating While Pregnant: Practical Guidance for Surgeons and OR Teams

In this episode of The House of Surgery, Drs. Katrin Arnolds and Ana Pena discuss the realities of operating while pregnant. Drawing from their own experiences as surgeons and mothers, they share practical tips for staying safe and comfortable in the OR, managing prenatal appointments, navigating workplace expectations, and reducing exposure to radiation, anesthesia gases, surgical smoke, chemotherapy agents, and other potential hazards. This conversation offers valuable insight for pregnant surgeons, trainees, and anyone working alongside pregnant members of the surgical team. Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery Katrin Arnolds, MD, is a board-certified minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida Ana Pena, MD, FACS, is a board-certified general surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida     Copyright © 2026 by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). All rights reserved.   The contents of this podcast may be cited in academic publications but otherwise may not be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form by any means without the express written permission of ACS. These materials may not be resold nor used to create revenue-generating content by any entity other than the ACS without the express written permission of the ACS. The contents of these materials are strictly prohibited from being uploaded, shared, or incorporated in any third-party applications, platforms, software, or websites without prior written authorization from the ACS. This restriction explicitly includes, but is not limited to, the integration of ACS content into tools leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, large language models, or generative AI technologies and infrastructures.