Surgeon Ergonomics

Dr. Park, a co-founder of the Society of Surgical Ergonomics, begins the episode by sharing her personal experience with a work-related shoulder injury and how it inspired her to prioritize surgeon ergonomics in her daily practice. She and Dr. Hoffman then encourage listeners to acknowledge the role of optimizing factors such as table height, body posture, and more in order to maximize the longevity of a surgeon’s career and thus patient care.

The co-hosts then cover pitfalls commonly identified in normal, open surgery (e.g. excessive neck flexion, truncal deviation, arm abduction) and laparoscopic surgery (e.g. body posture, monitor height). They transition to highlight possible resolutions to these pitfalls, including anti-fatigue mats, appropriate footwear, and proper posturing; ultimately addressing a need for further research in this aspect of medicine. Lastly, they cover the role of robotic surgery and the potential to either mitigate or worsen the risk for work-related MSK injuries.

The episode wraps up with a call to bring awareness to the value of surgeon ergonomics and to proactively impart this knowledge onto trainees, as the overall goal for surgeons is likely to continue operating and impacting patient care.