Effects of Visual Stress on Postural Control during Simulated Laparoscopy: A Preliminary Study

Area of Science:

• Surgical training and performance evaluation
• Human factors in medicine
• Neuroscience and biomechanics

Background:

• Intraoperative stress negatively affects surgeon well-being and patient outcomes.
• Current surgical training lacks adequate stress assessment methods.
• Understanding stress responses is vital for improving surgical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of visual stressors on novice surgeons' postural control and task performance.
• To explore individual differences in responses to intraoperative stress.
• To inform the development of real-time stress measurement tools for surgical training.

Main Methods:

• Experiment with 7 healthy novice participants performing precision pin transfers using laparoscopic instruments.
• Introduction of a visual stressor via manipulated digital blur in a real-time video display (none, low, high).
• Measurement of postural control (forehead accelerations, center of pressure displacements) and task performance (pins transferred per minute).

Main Results:

• Visual stressors negatively influenced task performance, reducing pins transferred per minute.
• Postural control responses varied significantly among participants, indicating differential sensitivity to stressors.
• Individual variability suggests personalized stress management strategies may be necessary.

Conclusions:

• Visual stressors pose a challenge to laparoscopic surgical performance and postural stability.
• Individual differences in stress response highlight the need for tailored surgical training programs.
• Further research into real-time stress monitoring can enhance surgical training and patient safety.