Do Surgical Smoke Evacuators Increase the Risk of Hearing Loss for Operative Personnel During Routine...

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Occupational Health
• Acoustics

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic necessitated aerosol mitigation equipment in operating rooms (ORs).
• This equipment has demonstrably increased noise levels during otolaryngological procedures.
• Elevated intraoperative sound levels pose a risk of occupational hearing loss to surgical personnel.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the hypothesis that cumulative noise exposure during surgery with aerosol mitigation exceeds recommended occupational limits.
• To quantify the impact of surgical smoke evacuator (SSE) use on intraoperative noise levels.

Main Methods:

• Sound levels were measured using a sound level meter during adenotonsillectomy procedures.
• Noise measurements were compared between surgeries utilizing SSE and those without (control).

Main Results:

• Mean sound levels were significantly higher when using SSE (72 ± 3 dBA) compared to the control (68 ± 2 dBA).
• Maximum noise levels during procedures with SSE reached up to 82 ± 3 dBA.
• Thirteen adenotonsillectomy surgeries were analyzed.

Conclusions:

• Surgeons performing adenotonsillectomy with aerosol mitigation equipment face significant noise exposure.
• Intraoperative noise levels during these procedures surpassed international standards for tasks requiring concentration.
• Development of new technologies is crucial to mitigate cumulative noise exposure in the OR.