Surgical Ergonomics – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Q-optics. You can learn about them, the special rates they are offering for podcast listerners and schedule a demo via : https://q-optics.com/pages/surgicalergonomics-drlal

Disclosure: 

Q-optics is a paid sponsor and the affiliate link above supports the podcast at no cost to you. It also provides you with a discount and a giveaway to listeners of the podcast, so we hope that it is a win-win!

Dr. Donny W. Suh  a Professor and Chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology and the Eye Mobile Program at the University of California, Irvine. He works at UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC).  He also volunteers with ORBIS Global Health Programs, providing medical care and training ophthalmologists in underserved regions across South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. In addition, he is the Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Ophthalmology Section Membership Committee , an inductee of the American Ophthalmological Society and was awarded “Inventor of the Year” in 2019 by the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

In this episode Dr. Suh:

 - Shares that he became interested in ergonomics about 10-15 years into his practice because he started to have MSK symptoms and noticed many colleagyes with the same due to awkward posture while operating

- Explains that loupes are essentially telescopes and that there are 2 main types, Galilean and Keplerian. The former have a convex and concave lens and the latter contain 2 or more convex lenses. Keplerian loupes are able to provide higher magnifications but are heavy due to the higher number of lenses.

- Elaborates on why the use of loupes is an independent risk factor for the development of work-related MSK symptoms among surgeons and dentists.

- Clarifies that here has't been a lot of change in loupe design until very recently, with the major change being prism deflection. Other changes include lighter titanium frames, plastic lenses and strap design.

- Discusses the difference between Galilean and Prismatic loupes. The former are limited by the extent of how deep a declination angle one can achieve. Deflection loupes are technically a subtype of Prismatic loupes but for all practical purposes, they can be considered similar.

- Explains why Prismatic/Deflection loupes need customization (to our face and working distance) or the image will be blurred. Therefore, it is important to simulate your surgical experience when getting fitted for them.

- Advises individuals that there are some challenges associated with using Prismatic/ Deflection loupes, such as image displacement and image distortion, and it is important to give time to get used to working with them

You can learn about ergonomic loupes straps developed by Dr. Suh here: https://suhhermsen.com/ergonmic-loupe-strap

You can reach Dr. Suh on Linked In and Instagram 

Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the show

Episode details:

Dr. Jennifer Quon is a pediatric neurosurgeon at the Hospital for Sick Children and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. She is also the Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Smartstep Surgical LLC. Dr. Quon completed medical school at Yale School of Medicine and neurosurgical training at Stanford Hospital. She did her pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children prior to starting as faculty. Dr. Quon has broad clinical interests in pediatric neurosurgery, with expertise in skull base brain tumors, vascular disorders and fetal surgery. Her research program focuses machine learning applications in pediatric neurosurgery and neuroimaging, and surgical innovation. 

In this episode Dr. Quon:

- Shares the challenges she faced using standing stools/steps in the operating room which in turn, inspired her ergonomics and innovation journey

- Discusses how she started her innovation journey by thinking about what features she would want an ideal step stool to have

- Explains that Surgistep is a motorized surgical stool/step which can adjust height in 1mm increments using a scissor-lift mechanism and allows surgeons the ability to make adjustments without asking other team members to stack steps  https://www.smartstepsurgical.com/collections/surgistep

- Elaborates on the various steps during her innovation journey i.e. background research, finding a partner familiar with devices, meeting with engineers, raising funding, getting additional partners, making a prototype and learning legal and regulatory requirements

- Shares some of the frustrations during her innovator journey including the timelines being longer than anticipated and getting conflicting feedback to make engineering modifications

- Describes the basics of getting funding for aspiring surgeon-innovators

- Highlights that she is working on other safety products for the OR

You can reach Dr. Quon directly via email: jennifer.quon@sickkids.ca 

Smart Step Surgical LLC is offering a 20% discount for listeners of the podcast which you can access here: https://www.smartstepsurgical.com/blogs/news/surgical-ergonomic-podcast-promotional-discount

- 

Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the show

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by PearsonRavitz Insurance. You can learn about them and schedule a consultation on my website at: https://pearsonravitz.com/surgicalergonomics/

Disclosure: 

PearsonRavitz is a paid sponsor and the affiliate link above supports the podcast at no cost to you. 

Episode details:

Dr. Corwin is a Clinical Associate Professor on the faculty of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.  As both a surgeon and occupational / environmental medicine physician, she has broad clinical experience that informs her public health practice.  She currently serves as Associate Director of Employee Health for the University of Iowa. In this role  she engages her expertise in,  collaborative work related to the health and safety of healthcare system workershazard recognition, evaluation, control, and policy development.

In this episode Dr. Corwin:

- Shares her journey from training in General and Transplant surgery and then switching career paths by pursuing her Masters in Public Health and training in occupational medicine

- Describes that surgeons, other proceduralists and OR personnel have a high rate of work-related MSK injuries, on par with prevalence rates in construction workers

- Defines work-related injury per OSHA's description and the conditions that need to be met for a worker's symptoms to be considered work-related (i.e. temporality and plausibility)

- Elaborates on the difficulties of instituting work restrictions for surgeons and proceduralists, both due to individual and system-related issues (lack of infrastructure).  This is in contrast to the situation among departments of nursing.

- Clarifies the differences between impairment (loss of structure and/or function which is very algorithmic per AMA guidelines) and disability (inability to perform duties of the job)

- Shares her advice for early career surgeons/proceduralists  i.e. urges them to get evaluated early by physical therapists familiar with the OR work environment and learn preventive strategies, not to ignore their symptoms and to share them with trusted colleagues and get the help they need

You can reach Dr. Corwin via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccorwin31/

Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the show

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Q-optics. You can learn about them and schedule a demo via : https://q-optics.com/pages/surgicalergonomics-drlal

Disclosure: 

Q-optics is a paid sponsor and the affiliate link above supports the podcast at no cost to you. It also provides you with a discount and a giveaway to listeners of the podcast, so we hope that it is a win-win!

Episode details:

Dr. Sanjay Kumar Yadav is a Breast, Thyroid, and Endocrine surgeon at NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur. A pioneer in low-cost innovations for breast cancer and endocrine surgery, he has led work to make advanced surgical care accessible in underserved regions. An international awardee and educator, he is deeply committed to research, mentorship, and health equity.

In this episode, Dr. Yadav:

- Shares that he became interested in ergonomics during fellowship training when he started developing neck pain and stumbled upon the Surgical Ergonomics Interest group

- Discusses the results of his study of the prevalence of work-related MSK symptoms among surgeons and trainees in India which showed that > 70% of them had symptoms from operating. Learn more here at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37308348/

- Describes how a single webinar sharing ergonomic best practices improved awareness and implementation of basic best practices up to 6 months afterwards

- Shares how implementing breaks (and stretches) has been a crucial and easy to implement strategy for the physicians and nursing staff which allows one to circumvent instrument and OR set up issues. You can  implement this strategy is to use the OR stretch app available for free here: https://orstretch.mayoclinic.org/ or using resources by the Society of Surgical Ergonomics: https://www.societyofsurgicalergonomics.org/education

- Describes that the major challenges to implementing best practices are primarily financial, even for low-cost interventions such as anti-fatigue mats (which they purchased themselves)

- Shares that there is growing momentum in spreading awareness about surgical ergonomics within various conferences in India and efforts are being made to incorporate ergonomics into surgical training programs

You can reach Dr. Yadav via the following social media platforms:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjay-yadav-ms-mch-facs-36268282/?originalSubdomain=in

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yadav_sanjaykumar/

X: https://x.com/drskyind

Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the show

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Q-optics: https://q-optics.com/pages/surgicalergonomics-drlal

Disclosure: 

Q-optics is a paid sponsor and the affiliate link above supports the podcast at no cost to you. It also provides you with a discount, so we hope that it is a win-win!

Dr. Julie Hallet is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto and a Surgical Oncologist with a clinical practice devoted to hepato-biliary, pancreatic, and upper gastrointestinal malignancies at the Odette Cancer Centre - Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Her practice further focuses on neuroendocrine tumors as part of the Susan Leslie Clinic for Neuroendocrine Tumors. Dr. Hallet is chairholder of the Canada Research Chair in Patient-Centred & Quality Cancer Surgery. Her program in health services research aims to improve the fidelity of care delivery in cancer surgery through access to quality care, high-performing team care models, and risk communication support, with a commitment to patient-centred research and equity. Dr. Hallet holds leadership roles in National and International societies, including being the current President of the Society of Surgical Ergonomics.

In this episode, Dr. Hallet:

- Shares her journey about joining the Society of Surgical Ergonomics, and how she became involved in research relating to the topic of ergonomics in the OR

- Discusses the importance of Team ergonomics and the initial results of the SORE (Simulation and Operating Room Ergonomics) where OR personnel were surveyed and interviewed to identify the ergonomic education needs and design interventions to involve all members of the team. Up to 25% of personnel reported missing work related to their symptoms. Read more about the findings here: (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39502068/)

- Highlighted that one of the barriers to improved ergonomics is OR personnel's perception of what should be organizational versus individual responsibility

- Describes using the concept of circle of influence/control as a step-wise approach to making incremental changes regarding improved ergonomics

- Elaborates on the idea of an Ergonomics time-out as a way to create a space to discuss ergonomics-related issues prior to the start of a procedure. Read more about the concept here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40082104/

- Shares her best ergonomic practices for hepatobiliary surgery

You can reach Dr. Hallet at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliehallet/ or via email at: julie.hallet@sunnybrook.ca

Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the show

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by PearsonRavitz Insurance. You can learn about them and schedule a consultation on my website at: https://pearsonravitz.com/surgicalergonomics/

Disclosure: 

PearsonRavitz is a paid sponsor and the affiliate link above supports the podcast at no cost to you. 

Episode details:

Dr. Linda Miller is the CEO and Founder of EWI Works International Inc., Western Canada’s leading ergonomics and wellness company. With more than 35 years of experience in ergonomics and occupational therapy, Dr. Miller continues to lead EWI Works into new territory, particularly in technology.   She has extensive experience in healthcare ergonomics.  Recently, Dr. Miller and her team developed a marker-less motion capture system called PoseChecker (TM) designed to analyze worker videos to determine the level of musculoskeletal injury risk associated with their work activities.   

Dr. Miller’s also has a passion for education and empowerment which is reflected not only in EWI Works’ services and products, but also in her position as an Adjunct professor at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine Department of occupational therapy where she is a part-time clinical lecturer.

In this episode, Dr. Miller

- Shares her journey of dual training in Occupational therapy and Ergonomics

- Delves into details regarding the goals of anti-fatigue mats, where they are typically used and how they can benefit workers, including health care workers in OR and procedural spaces

- Elaborates on the findings of a recent study showing reduced MSK symptoms from using anti-fatigue mats in the OR for up to 24 hours post-op and for all surgical personnel i.e. surgeons, assistants and scrub techs (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11775457/)

- Discusses the pros and cons of various types of footwear used in procedural areas such as running shoes and clogs and shares that the task they are going to be used for is what determines which footwear is usitable

- Provides tips for purchasing footwear and orthotics (if needed) and also considerations for when they should be replaced

You can read more about Posechecker (TM) here: https://ewiworks.com/posechecker/

You can reach Linda at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindalmiller/?originalSubdomain=ca

Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the show

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Q-optics: https://q-optics.com/pages/surgicalergonomics-drlal

Disclosure: 

Q-optics is a paid sponsor and the affiliate link above supports the podcast at no cost to you. It also provides you with a discount, so we hope that it is a win-win!

Amanda Amin MD MS FACS FSSO is breast surgical oncologist and the Section chief of breast surgery at University  Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and co-director of the breast program in the Seidman Cancer Center. She is also the Nancy and Donald Maltby Master Clinician in Breast Health and holds the academic rank of Associate professor through Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. 

In this episode Dr. Amin

- Shares her story  of work-related neck pain and cervical disc herniation , which ultimately led to the need for surgical intervention

- Discusses the predisposing factors for work-related MSK injury among breast surgeons including awkward postures with minimally invasive procedures (especially nipple-sparing mastectomy) and use of headlights

- Discusses some of the adjustments  that can help improve breast surgery ergonomics including using a light-weight headlamp attached to her glasses, using a cordless light model (with a battery), using lighted retractors and suction devices

-  Re-iterates the importance of sharing our experiences and de-stigmatizing MSK injuries among surgeons 

- Emphasized the importance of taking breaks and doing stretches during surgery and  strengthening our bodies outside of the OR 

- Outlines the emerging role of robot-assisted breast surgery with respect to ergonomics

Read about the ergonomic risks of nipple-sparing mastectomy compared to skin-sparing mastectomy here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31342398/

 Learn more about robotics in breast surgery here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38220537/

You can reach Dr. Amin at amanda.amin@uhhospitals.org or social media 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-amin-384689377/ 

X: https://x.com/amandaaminmd/status/1560201878444572672

Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the show

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Q-optics: https://q-optics.com/pages/surgicalergonomics-drlal

Disclosure: 

Q-optics is a paid sponsor and the affiliate link above supports the podcast at no cost to you. It also provides you with a discount, so we hope that it is a win-win!

Paul W.M. Fedak, MD PhD, FRCS(C) is a cardiac surgeon and Director of the Libin Cardiovascular institute at the University of Calgary.  He is also a scientist and physician-writer who leads at the forefront of medical innovation and academic medicine.  His work explores the intersection of excellence, identity, and healing — especially the silent cost of high achievement in healthcare. Through his leadership, writing, and speaking, Paul invites a new conversation about moral injury, burnout, and the path from performance to presence, helping to reconnect medicine with its deeper purpose.

In this episode Dr. Fedak

- Shares how he started experiencing pain during the course of doing his job, ultimately leading to irreversible injury while operating

- Discusses how the culture of surgery (not showing weakness, accepting symptoms as a part of the job, lack of back up and redundancy in our medical systems)  often prevents surgeons and other proceduralists getting the help they needed when they first start experiencing symptoms

-  Acknowledges that fear of losing their livelihood and stigma attached to having physical limitations are huge barriers to surgeons reporting their symptoms 

- Shares how the gap between his expectations regarding the results of his surgery and how his recovery actually went led to a mental spiral, clinical depression, shame and a loss of identity

- Explains how he found a new purpose and meaning in his suffering via writing and sharing his story 

- Reminds us that we can take steps to reduce our risk of injury, but that workspaces within our institutions and instrument design also need to improve

You can reach Dr. Fedak via LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-w-m-fedak-md-b833b417a/?originalSubdomain=ca

You can learn about the Society of Surgical Ergonomics here: https://www.societyofsurgicalergonomics.org/

You can learn about work-related MSK injuries among cardiothoracic surgeons in this article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37659461/

Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the show

Sarah Temkin, MD is a first-time filmmaker, director and producer. She was trained as a gynecologic oncologist and spent over 2 decades providing surgical and medical care for women with cancer of the female genital tract. She held leadership positions in academic medicine, served on multiple national committees and is widely published in the medical literature. She has contributed throughout her career to conversations about equity in healthcare, including gender equity within the physician workforce. She was inspired to make the award-winning short documentary film 1001cuts, informed by her lived experience, after leaving clinical practice in 2020. 

In this episode, Dr. Temkin

- Shares her reasons for leaving clinical medicine and making the film 1000cuts

- Explains how working with instruments that weren't designed for them became apparent as one of the  many "cuts" women surgeons face during the course of their careers

- Emphasizes that having diversity of people, thought and practice in the OR makes things better for everyone, including our patients

- Discusses how a lot of progress has been made regarding making intrumentation in the OR more inclusive but that we still have work to do

You can reach Dr. Temkin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-temkin-214a76309/

 Learn more about Dr. Temkin's film :  https://www.1001cuts.org/

Watch the trailer for the film 1001cuts:   https://www.videoproject.org/1001-cuts.html or alternatively you could just share the film website which has links to accessing the film through the film. 

Webinar on stapler issues: https://www.societyofsurgicalergonomics.org/ and scroll down to the section Surgical Stapler Design and Usability

Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the show

Dr. Josh Mezrich is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin and holds the Mark A. Fischer Chair in Transplantation.  His surgical interests include liver transplantation, kidney transplantation and laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. He is the surgical director of the living donor kidney program. He runs a translational science lab investigating the role of the microbiome and serum biomarkers on organ quality in brain dead donors. He is the inventor and co-founder of the MezLight (www.mezlight.com), a sterile surgical task light designed to provide high-definition illumination of surgical fields and ease the physical burden on surgeons.

 Josh’s first book, When Death Becomes Life, was published by HarperCollins on January 15, 2019, and has sold in 12 countries outside the United States. His second book, Every Living Creature: How Xenotransplantation Will Change Our Lives, will be published in spring of 2026.

In this episode, Dr. Mezrich

- Discusses the issues with current lighting options in the OR and how they prompted his interest in inventing a new one

- Provides us with a list of attributes the wanted the new light to have, including not needing to be placed on the surgeon's head

- Describes his journey from the initial prototype of Mezlight to the currently available model

- Explains the challenges and opportunities faced by clinicians on an entrepreneurial journey

- Elaborates on his best practices for improved ergonomics in the OR including emphasizing the importance of microbreaks

Dr. Mezrich can be reached at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-mezrich-555498190/

Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the show