A. W. Paracha1, B. Alamarie1, A. Zil-E-Ali2, F. Samaan1, F. Aziz2 1Penn State University College Of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA 2Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Division Of Vascular Surgery, Hershey, PA, USA
Introduction: Vascular surgery is an evolving field with a necessity to wear lead aprons, surgical loupes, and headlights for long durations. The study aims to investigate the ergonomic challenges experienced by vascular surgeons and identify current habits and rituals employed for optimal ergonomics.??
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 6 academic vascular surgeons who often performed open AAA repairs at a tertiary care academic medical center. The interview targeted several domains such as preoperative habits, postoperative habits, and operating room practices. All interviews were conducted by a research team member, recorded, and later transcribed. The interview transcriptions were cross-referenced by two independent research team members. Thematic analysis using NVivo was performed to identify patterns and themes among the interviews given by the study subjects. Differing opinions on the themes were reconciled via discussion between four researchers.??
Results: The subjects included 3 female and 3 male academic vascular surgeons with a mean age of 40 ± 5 years and an average of 06 ± 05 years in practice. In total, 5 major themes were identified in all 6 interviews. The themes were: perception of ergonomics, pre-procedure habits, post-procedural habits, the impact of surgeries on ergonomic health, and advice to future trainees. Within these 5 themes, there were a multitude of sub-themes between the study subjects. Out of 6, 2 (33%) subjects mentioned the importance of preoperative and postoperative exercise and stretching which included targeting core muscles and legs to cope with the lengthy procedural demands. All 6 (100%) of the subjects emphasized the need for optimizing the height of the surgical table and 4 (66%) subjects mentioned ensuring the need for proper equipment such as loupes during the procedure to prevent neck and back pain postoperatively. Finally, 4 (66%) of the subjects agreed that incoming trainees need to develop healthy habits, such as proper sleep hygiene, stretching, and hydration. 3 (50%) subjects discussed the importance of exercise to overcome the physical demands of vascular surgery, as well as maintaining hobbies during training as coping mechanisms against mental burnout.??
Conclusion: Vascular surgeons face unique ergonomic challenges daily. The findings from this qualitative study emphasize the importance of preoperative and postoperative habits, such as regular exercise and manipulation of the height of the surgical table to help prevent muscular pain postoperatively. Focusing and targeting specific ergonomic factors can help alleviate postoperative mental and physical stress.?