Ergonomic risk factors identified for surgeons
(HealthDay)—Most surgeons report being in physical pain after performing surgery, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Liyun Yang, Ph.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues used data from wearable sensors and presurgery and postsurgery surveys to identify risk factors and assess intraoperative physical stressors. The analysis included data from 116 surgical cases involving 34 male and 19 female surgeons.
The researchers found that surgeons reported increased pain in each body area studied, including the neck (62 percent), lower back (45 percent), and upper back (43 percent). Real-time measurement identified high-stress intraoperative postures in the neck and back. Physical pain and fatigue were also impacted by surgical duration. Compared with laparoscopic procedures, open procedures had more stressful physical postures, especially neck posture (42 versus 80 percent). Neck posture was negatively impacted by loupe usage.
"Defining intraoperative ergonomic risk factors is of paramount importance to protect the well-being of the surgical workforce," the authors write.
More information: Abstract/Full Text
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