Physical Supporting Devices as Interventions to Reduce Muscular Load of Surgeons in the Operating Room

Area of Science:

• Surgical Innovation
• Ergonomics in Medicine
• Occupational Health for Surgeons

Background:

• Surgical operations often involve prolonged static postures and heavy muscle loads, leading to surgeon discomfort and potentially compromising patient safety.
• Occupational injuries and discomfort among surgeons are significant concerns impacting both individual well-being and surgical outcomes.
• Physical support devices are being developed to mitigate the physical strain experienced by surgeons during procedures.

Approach:

• A systematic literature review was conducted to identify and analyze studies on supporting devices for intraoperative stress reduction.
• Twenty-one relevant papers were selected, focusing on devices designed to alleviate physical stress on surgeons.
• Data extracted included the body parts supported by the devices and their reported impact on surgeon performance and stress levels.

Key Points:

• The reviewed literature presented 21 distinct support devices, with a majority targeting upper extremities (11), followed by lower extremities (5) and ergonomic chairs (5).
• Testing environments varied, including operating rooms (9), laboratory simulations (10), and devices still in development (2).
• While 7 studies reported no significant improvements, 12 papers indicated promising results, suggesting the potential efficacy of these devices.

Conclusions:

• Most research teams concluded that physical support devices hold significant potential for reducing intraoperative muscle load and surgeon discomfort.
• These devices are anticipated to contribute to improved surgical performance and reduced risk of occupational injuries in the operating room.
• Continued development and clinical evaluation are crucial to fully realize the benefits of surgical support technologies.