ArticleSurgical endoscopy2021
Intraoperative musculoskeletal discomfort and risk for surgeons during open and laparoscopic surgery.
Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Use of Wearable Systems for Assessing Work-Related Risks Related to the Musculoskeletal System-A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Pooled it
- Advances in objective assessment of ergonomics in endoscopic surgery: a review.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Ergonomic evaluation of a novel suturing device (SutureTOOL) versus traditional needle-driver for aponeurotic closure: a randomized experimental study.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2026Trial
- Impact of a full clinical workday on surgical performance in simulated laparoscopy: a controlled crossover trial.BMC medical education · 2026Trial
- Using wearable technology for Posture Regulation to Improve Surgical Ergonomics in the paediatric operating room: the UPRISE trial: a pilot study.Surgical endoscopy · 2024Trial
- Ergonomics and performance of using prismatic loupes in simulated surgical tasks among surgeons - a randomized controlled, cross-over trial.Frontiers in public health · 2023Trial
- Physical demands of hernia repair segments and the effect of exoskeleton support.Surgical endoscopy · 2026Article
- Ergonomic impact of a passive upper-limb exoskeleton on surgeon workload during laparoscopic tasks: a crossover experimental study.Surgical endoscopy · 2026Article
- Article
- Operating Table Height Optimization Reduces Surgeon Postural Load During Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Ergonomic Simulation Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Electromyography in abdominal laparoscopic and robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery: A scoping review.PloS one · 2026Article
- Evaluation of posture in four different robotic surgical systems.Surgical endoscopy · 2025Article
- Practice of ergonomics in laparoscopic gynecological surgeries and its effects on surgeons in a low-middle income country.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Review
- Comparison of short-term effectiveness between unilateral biportal endoscopic and MED-assisted transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for mild single-segment lumbar spondylolisthesis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Sex-based differences in musculoskeletal pain among surgeons: an international survey.Surgical endoscopy · 2025Article
- Use of Wearable Inertial Sensors to Assess Trunk and Cervical Postures Among Surgeons: Effect of Surgical Specialties and Roles.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Application and exploration of surgical assistive arms in thoracoscopic surgery: a single-center retrospective study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Predicting task performance in robot-assisted surgery using physiological stress and subjective workload: a case study with interpretable machine learning.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Article
- Exploring the use of wearable sensors for assessing risk factors during orthopedic surgeries: A protocol for data collection.MethodsX · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSurgeon workload is significant both mentally and physically and may differ by procedure type. When comparing laparoscopic surgery and open surgery, studies have reported contrasting results on the physical and mental workload assessed.
methodsWearable posture sensors and pre-/post-surgical questionnaires were employed to assess intraoperative workload and to identify risk factors for surgeons using objective and subjective measures.
resultsData from 49 cases (27 open and 22 laparoscopic surgeries performed by 13 male and 11 female surgeons) were assessed. More than half the surgeons reported a clinically relevant post-surgical fatigue score. The surgeons also self-reported a significant increase in pain for the neck, upper back, and lower back during/after surgery. Procedural time had significant impacts on fatigue, body part pain, and subjective (NASA-TLX) workload. The objectively assessed intraoperative work postures using wearable sensors showed a high musculoskeletal risk for neck and lower back based on their posture overall. Open surgeries had significantly larger neck angles (median [IQR]: 40 [28-47]°) compared with laparoscopic surgeries (median [IQR]: 23 [16-29]°), p < 0.001) and torso (median [IQR]: 17 [14-22]° vs. 13 [10-17]°, p = 0.006).
conclusionSurgeons reported significantly higher levels of fatigue and pain in the neck and lower back during or after performing a surgical case. Longer procedural time resulted in more self-rated fatigue, pain, and subjective workload. Open surgery had higher postural risk. Overall, surgeons spent a disturbingly high percentage of time during surgery in high-risk musculoskeletal postures, especially the neck. These results show that intraoperative postural risk is very high and that interventions are necessary to protect surgeon musculoskeletal health for optimal surgeon performance and career longevity.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.