Ergonomics in Laparoscopic Surgery—A Survey of Symptoms and Contributing Factors

Shepherd, Joanna M.; Harilingam, Mohanraj; Hamade, Ayman

doi:10.1097/sle.0000000000000231

Cited by 33 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…However, previous work has failed to establish a relationship between age and MSK pain 5 . On the other hand, exercise has been found to be protective of MSK pain in surgeons, with a particular benefit to resistance training 26 . While our results did not achieve significance, they certainly suggest a similar relationship.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 76%

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Quantitative Assessment of Surgical Ergonomics in Otolaryngology

Rodman

Kelly

Niermeyer

et al. 2020

Otolaryngol.--head neck surg.

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Objectives Objective evaluation of the ergonomic risk of common otolaryngology procedures and assessment of work-related musculoskeletal pain and injury. Study Design Cross-sectional intraoperative assessment and survey. Setting Department of Otolaryngology at a tertiary children’s hospital. Subjects and Methods Sixteen otolaryngology attendings, fellows, and residents participated in a blinded study. Intraoperative ergonomics was assessed for tonsillectomies, adenoidectomies, and tympanostomy tube insertions using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Follow-up surveys were sent to all participating surgeons to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and formal ergonomic training. Results Zero percent (N = 0/275) of intraoperative observations were found to have a negligible level of ergonomic risk, with 47% low risk, 37% high risk, and 16% very high risk. Tympanostomy tube insertions conferred less risk than tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, while the use of headlamp or loupes conferred increased risk. Eighty percent of respondents reported having musculoskeletal pain and 40% reported experiencing pain while operating within the past year. The most common area of pain was the cervical spine. No surgeons reported formal ergonomic training. Conclusions Our study demonstrates an unacceptable level of ergonomic risk for common procedures in otolaryngology. Furthermore, most participants reported experiencing musculoskeletal pain despite the duration of examined procedures being relatively short. The high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal pain and the lack of ergonomic training in our cohort highlight the need for increased awareness of ergonomics as well as the development of formal ergonomic curricula.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 76%

“…5 On the other hand, exercise has been found to be protective of MSK pain in surgeons, with a particular benefit to resistance training. 26 While our results did not achieve significance, they certainly suggest a similar relationship. Intervention aimed at improving surgeon posture and reducing MSK pain is warranted.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 59%

Quantitative Assessment of Surgical Ergonomics in Otolaryngology

Rodman

Kelly

Niermeyer

et al. 2020

Otolaryngol.--head neck surg.

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“…Smaller hand size has been correlated with increased difficulty using various types of surgical instruments in surveys among general surgeons [ 5 , 6 ]. Additionally, female surgeons have been shown to have more discomfort and seek more medical treatment for hand conditions than their male counterparts with the same glove size [ 7 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female Sex is Associated With Increased Reported Injury Rates and Difficulties With Use of Orthopedic Surgical Instruments

Fram¹,

Bishop²,

Beredjiklian³

et al. 2021

Cureus

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Introduction: Orthopedic instrumentation is generally made as one-size-fits-all. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of hand size and sex on ease of use and injury rates from orthopedic tools and surgical instruments.Methods: An anonymous 21-item online survey was distributed to orthopedic trainees and attendings. Questions regarding demographics, physical symptoms and treatment, perceptions, and instrument-specific concerns were included. The analysis included statistics comparing responses based on sex, height, and glove size, with significance as p<0.05.Results: There were 204 respondents: 119 female and 84 male. Male and female respondents differed significantly in height (mean difference 5.4 in, p<0.001) and glove size (median size 6.5 size for females, size 8 for males, p<0.001). While 69.8% of respondents reported physical discomfort or symptoms they attributed to their operating instruments, female surgeons were significantly more likely to endorse symptoms (87.3% female vs. 45.2% male, p<0.001). Of those reporting symptoms, 47.7% had undergone treatment, with no significant difference by surgeon sex (p=0.073). Female surgeons were significantly more likely than their male counterparts to have negative attitudes toward orthopedic surgical instruments and to report specific surgical instruments as difficult or uncomfortable to use. Conclusion:Female orthopedic surgeons are more likely than their male counterparts to report physical symptoms attributed to orthopedic surgical instruments, to have negative attitudes toward instruments, and to identify a larger number of common instruments as difficult or uncomfortable to use. Further emphasis on ergonomic instrument design is needed to allow all orthopedic surgeons to operate as safely and effectively as possible.

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“…Smaller glove size less than 6.5, shorter stature, and female sex are consistently identified as risk factors for increased strain 9,10 . Comparing men and women of the same glove size, women with a larger glove size (7–8.5) reported more cases of treatment for their hands (21 vs 3%, P = 0.016).…”

Section: Surgeon Position and Poor Ergonomics In All Surgical Approachesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Smaller glove size less than 6.5, shorter stature, and female sex are consistently identified as risk factors for increased strain. 9,10 Comparing men and women of the same glove size, women with a larger glove size (7-8.5) reported more cases of treatment for their hands (21 vs 3%, P = 0.016). Women who wore a size 5.5-6.5 surgical glove reported significantly more cases of discomfort in their shoulder area (neck, shoulder, upper back) than men who wore the same size surgical glove (77 vs 27%, P = 0.004).…”

Section: Surgical Instrumentation and Sexmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Current State of Surgical Ergonomics

Park

2022

UROGC

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Objective Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are widespread among surgeons, causing significant disability and career modification. Gender plays a role, as female surgeons have a two-fold greater risk for discomfort during certain operations due to generally smaller hand sizes and height as compared to male surgeons. There is a lack of appropriate surgical instrumentation geared toward smaller hand sizes. Maintaining a neutral position while operating, frequent changes in position, and increased awareness can contribute to decreasing the detrimental impact on surgeons' bodies from performing operations.

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Ergonomics in Laparoscopic Surgery—A Survey of Symptoms and Contributing Factors

Abstract: Principle and assistant surgeons experience adverse symptoms during LS; ergonomics training and handles dimensions, accommodating female surgeons, and smaller glove sizes may reduce this.

Cited by 33 publications

References 15 publications

Quantitative Assessment of Surgical Ergonomics in Otolaryngology

Quantitative Assessment of Surgical Ergonomics in Otolaryngology

Female Sex is Associated With Increased Reported Injury Rates and Difficulties With Use of Orthopedic Surgical Instruments

The Current State of Surgical Ergonomics

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