Archer S, et al. - Researchers examined how psychosocial factors influence the relationship between surgical complications and quality of life (QoL). In this longitudinal cohort study, 785 patients undergoing major elective gastrointestinal, vascular, or cardiothoracic surgery, were assessed for pre-op data, 1 month post-op data, 4 months post-op data, and 12 months post-op data. Outcomes revealed the contribution of surgical complications alongside other sociodemographic and psychosocial factors to changes in QoL. The impact of surgical complications on QoL could be moderated by a range of psychosocial factors such as the use of humor as a coping style and the level of health care professional support. Hence they recommend undertaking interventions that increase the availability of healthcare professional support and promote more effective coping strategies before surgery as these may be beneficial, particularly in the earlier stages of recovery where QoL is most severely compromised.