Ergonomics in Minimal Access Surgery

Minimal access surgery (MAS) is expanding its indications and its adoption across the spectrum of surgical procedures. While initially it was primarily practised by general surgeons and gynaecologists, more and more specialists, including oncosurgeons, urosurgeons, neurosurgeons, ENT surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons and others, are resorting to it, owing to several advantages that it offers, both to the surgeon as well as the patient. However, there is a hidden dark side to the widespread popularity of MAS, in terms of the toll it takes on the physical health of the surgeon and the surgical team owing to specific ergonomic challenges that are quite distinct from what are encountered in open conventional surgery. These ergonomic shortcomings of MAS are responsible for causing long-term debilitating injuries among surgeons, not uncommonly leading to termination of a busy career. This chapter looks at the various factors that are responsible for the ergonomics in MAS, how they affect the surgical team members, how they can be documented and also suggests various ways in which their impact can be minimized, as well as recommends measures to optimize the ergonomics of MAS.