A guide for accommodating wheelchairs in the OR while maintaining safety and quality

A paraplegic resident needed appropriate accommodation to complete a surgical residency with implementation of provider wheelchair use in the operating room. Current evidence-based guidelines were reviewed for operating room protocol in conjunction with provisions from the American's with Disabilities Act, to provide a safe and functional environment for operating room staff, the patient, and the resident. Guidelines for equipment use, personal protective equipment, and sterile procedure were combined with the provision that a wheelchair is an extension of its user to draft a protocol for wheelchair use in the operating room. Evidence-based recommendations were successfully coordinated with American's with Disabilities Act provisions to provide a safe operating protocol for the wheelchair-bound surgeon.