Rather than interrupting surgeons’ mid-operation to ask how stressed they felt, the team used video-stimulated recall. This enabled the researchers to match notable physiological patterns to specific moments of stress without disrupting the procedure. These signals moved together in a way that lined up consistently with how stressed surgeons said they felt, as confirmed through robust statistical analysis. These results showcase how unobtrusive physiological monitoring can provide useful information for understanding the challenges faced by surgeons. “Designing environments, equipment, and operational methods based on the results of this line of research will help manage doctors’ stress, improve surgical performance, and enhance surgeons’ own well-being.