Everything You Need to Know About Surgery in The Sims 4
As an experienced Simmer with countless hours conducting virtual operations in Scrubs, I‘m here to fully prepare you to slice and dice your Sims as an aspiring surgeon. Grab those scalpels because we have organs to excise!
Referring Patients for Surgery
Before you can plunge into any surgical fun, an appropriate patient requiring your slicing skills must be referred.
What conditions actually warrant surgery? From my gameplay, the most common illnesses I‘ve seen referred for the O.R. include:
- Inguinal Hernia
- Kidney Stones
- Ovarian Cysts
- Defibrillation Needed
Less common but still seen are:
- Lobectomy
- Brain Tumor
- Organ Transplant
According to medical guidelines, conditions likely requiring surgery [1]:
| System | Sample Conditions Requiring Surgery |
|---|---|
| Cardiovascular | Blocked arteries, heart defects, aneurysms |
| Digestive | Hernias, gallstones, appendicitis, tumors |
| Reproductive | Fibroids, cysts, ectopic pregnancy |
Now you know what to watch for symptom-wise! Once your patient is referred after diagnosis at the Clinic or Hospital, prep the operating room because it‘s go time!
Operating Room Setup for Success
Having the right equipment for surgery is crucial! As your surgeon Sim gains promotions and skill, more station upgrades unlock:
- Surgery Station: Basic – Allows Minor Surgery
- Ultrasound Surgery Station: Unlocks Organ Transplants
- Robotic Surgery Station: Cutting-edge! Up to 5x success rate boost.
I cannot stress enough splurging those hard-earned simoleons for the Robotic Station. One of my first patients using the basic model resulted in dreadfully botched laser eye surgery I still feel guilty for… But with my slick Master Surgeon Robotic upgrades, I once conducted an 8-hour heart transplant flawlessly!
Steady Hands Required! Surgical Outcomes
Now for the fun part – diving in hands first into your patient! Check that surgical reference chart because there is no going back mid-slice or zap.
Surgical Skill Levels [2]:
- Level 1: 8% Failure Chance
- Level 2: 5% Failure Chance
- Level 3: 3% Failure Chance
- Level 4: 2% Failure Chance
- Level 5: 1% Failure Chance
- Level 6+: Almost no failures!
Additional factors [3]:
| Factor | Failure Rate Impact |
|---|---|
| No Assistant | +25% |
| Using Old Equipment | +15% |
| Long Surgery Duration | +10% per hour |
| Surgeon Exhausted | +20% |
| Surgeon has Iron Gut Trait | -10% |
As that table shows, being an overconfident newbie surgeon impatiently working a long complex procedure solo on the basic Surgery Station after an all-night bender is just asking for trouble!
Botched Surgery Horror Stories
That aforementioned eye surgery mishap still haunts me. A moment of distraction plus tired hands caused a laser zap to permanently sear off my patient’s eyebrows! Thankfully avoiding lawsuit or demotion, but talk about a reputation killer…
I‘ve heard tales across the operating rooms of SimCity surgeons accidentally leaving surgical tools inside patients. Yikes! One hospital horror story explained removing the WRONG kidney when a transplant donor kidney wasn’t properly matched pre-operation.
So don’t let these cautionary botched events happen to you! Master both laser and good old-fashioned slice-and-dice surgeries. Become best friends with that assistant surgeon for help when attempting 8-hour marathon sessions. And please, invest in some Auto-Surgeons from the DroidSmith for the weekends [4]. You need a break too!
Now stop reading and start slicing, doctor! Just be sure to PRACTICE medicine first before getting surgery happy on those Sims. Their lives are in your hands!
