Surgical Ergonomics

Dr. Christopher Perkes is an Anesthesiologist at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. His non-clinical pursuits have included serving as an Anesthesia Medical Director (Quinte Health), Premesis Inspection Committee member for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and delivering a Canadian Anesthesiology Society presentation on Ergonomics for the Anesthesiologist. His interest in ergonomics began in 2018 when he suffered a back injury that threatened his career. In this episode, Dr. Perkes:- Shares how his own injury (herniated L5/S1 intervertebral disc) sparked his interest in ergonomics- Discusses the ergonomic risks faced by anesthesia providers in their daily work and the factors that keep people from getting help when their symptoms first develop- Emphazised the importance of working with a specialist (physical therapist, occupational therapist or ergonomist) to analyze our postures in our workflow- Outlines practical steps that practitioners can take to set up their environment ergonomically and also advocate for ergonomic equipment- Shared his thoughts on how good ergonomics can be incorporated into residency training and practicing providers 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 Smart Step Surgical LLC. You can learn about them and schedule a demo via https://www.smartstepsurgical.com/blogs/news/surgical-ergonomic-podcast-promotional-discountDisclosure: Smart Step Surgical is a paid sponsor and the affiliate link above supports the podcast at no cost to you. They also provide our podcast listeners with a discount (20%), so we hope that it is a win-win!Episode details:Ms. Jeannette Wagner is a Surgical Technologist and is  Team Lead in the operating rooms at University of Iowa Health Care, Stead Family Children’s Hospital. She oversees multiple services along with scrubbing a large variety of surgeries. Her true passion is scrubbing pediatric cardiac and takes pride in being a part of the surgical team. An important part of her role as Team Lead is education for staff and training Surgical Technologists, as well as nurses to the scrub role. She is a dedicated and motivated professional with a passion for lifelong learning and personal growth.  She is a member of the Scheduling Committee in her department and in the past was a member and chair of the UPC council for SFCH surgical department.  Her personal interests include spending time with her family and 3 granddaughters, being out in nature and always willing to take on new challenges and expand her skills.  In this episode Ms. Wagner:- Shares the MSK issues she has faced over her almost 30-year career as a scrub technologist, including needing surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome and a shoulder injury- Emphasized that there is a lack of education around ergonomics in the training of scrub technologists-Discusses data that shows OR nurses have high rates of MSK injuries when compared to nurses working in other hospital environments and that back injuries are the most common MSK issue-  Describes some of the barriers to implementing ergonomic best practices among OR scrub staff- Provides tips on  handling the power differential in the OR when it comes to utilizing ergonomic aids- Emphasizes how communication between surgeons and techs can ease access to the field and improve ergonomics for everyoneFollow 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. Jackie Cha is the Patricia Flatley Brennan Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Her research focuses on measuring physical human-robot interactions, particularly in healthcare environments, to improve worker performance, safety, and system efficiency. Her team investigates applications of robotics – both surgical robotic systems and wearables – in clinical environments and the changes of physical and cognitive interactions between human teams and robots. Prior to joining UW-Madison, she served as an assistant professor at Clemson University. Her research has been funded by several sponsors such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) (including the NSF CAREER award), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).In this episode Dr. Cha:- Explains what exoskeletons are and the difference between active and passive exoskeletions- Shares how exoskeletons have been used to reduce strain in industrial sectors (as PPE) - Describes why adapting exoskeletons to the OR is especially challenging i.e. due to the large physical and cognitive load intrinsic to OR work- Shares the work she and others have done evaluating exoskeletons for the OR both in the simulation environment and in actual OR rooms- Discusses the pros and cons of currently available exoskeletons in terms of adapting them to surgical work The Society of Surgical Ergonomics webinar on exoskeletons can be found here:https://www.societyofsurgicalergonomics.org/copy-of-video-libraryThe recent study with qualitative and objective data with use of a neck/back exoskeleton can be found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40201977/Dr. Jackie Cha can be reached via Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiecha/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, the special rates they are offering for podcast listerners and schedule a demo via : https://q-optics.com/pages/surgicalergonomics-drlalDisclosure: 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. Raewyn Campbell is an Associate Progessor and a rhinologist and skull base surgeon in Sydney, Australia. She is also a former physical therapist with a post-graduate diploma in exercise and sport science. She completed 3 international fellowships in Rhinology and Skull Base surgery in Auckland, NewZealand and Philadelphia and Columbus, USA. She holds leadership positions in multiple societies and is the the ENT research lead for the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Institute of Academic Surgery and the ENT Associate Member Representative for the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). She is currently pursuing a PhD in ergonomics at The University of Sydney.In this episode, Dr. Campbell:- Discusses her journey from working as a physical therapist to then pursuing a career as an surgical subspecialist and now pursuing her PhD in Ergonomics- Describes the research she has done looking at MSK injuries among  otolaryngologists, with high rates of injuries among rhinologists and skull base surgeons, which impact not only their work but also their lives outside the OR- Shares the common risk factors for MSK injury for her subspecialty including glove size, standing, case load, amount of exercise, time spent in clinic, female sex and BMI of the surgeon. Many of these are modifiable and are common to other specialties as well- Emphasizes strategies to incorporate ergonomics into OR practice such as keeping the patient as close to oneself as possible and tilting the bed as necessary, alternating foot use for the foot pedal, using anti-fatigue mats, wearing sport shoes, paying attention to the direction of the tubing, having the scrub assistant opposite to the surgeon and including microbreaks (for both physical and cognitive ergonomics)- Shares her strategies for incorporating ergonomics principles into clinic work- Discusses the importance of incorporating physical activity (stretching ans strengthening) inside and outside the OR- Describes new technologies on the horizon for surgeons working on the microscope, such as exoscopes and robotic surgeryFollow 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. Ramon Cestero is a Professor of Surgery at UT Health San Antonio and a nationally recognized trauma and critical care surgeon. A former Navy surgeon with extensive experience in combat and austere environments, he has dedicated his career to advancing surgical care through innovation and education.Dr. Cestero is the Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of Advanced Surgical Retractor Systems, Inc. and the inventor of the TITAN CSR® retractor, a next-generation surgical exposure system designed to address the longstanding limitations of traditional retractors. The TITAN CSR® retractor has been the subject of a Department of Defense–funded military study and a published case review series, and it has earned national recognition, including the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma’s Best New Instrument award two years in a row. His work reflects a commitment to improving surgical ergonomics, optimizing operating room performance, and advancing technologies that enhance both surgeon effectiveness and patient outcomes.In this episode, Dr. Cestero:- Shares information about the commonly used surgical retractor systems and discusses their limitations- Describes how his work in combat environments inspired him to develop a new retractor system- Discusses the details about the TITAN CSR retractor, including how it can be integrated into existing workflows and equipment surgeons and OR personnel are already familiar with- Details his innovation journey, where he initially partnered with the Office of Technology at his institution to manufacture a prototype and test it, and eventually formed his own company- Explains how the new retractor improves team ergonomics and efficiency- Emphasizes that the retractor also has the option of built in lightingYou can reach Dr. Cestero hereDetails for the TITAN CSR retractor hereFollow 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:Mr. Gil Spitz was originally a classical musician and shifted his focus to ergonomics and preventative exercise to help musicians with repetitive motion injuries. He furthered his expertise with an MS in Exercise Physiology, researching optimized training for first responders.  In 2019, he joined the Medical ICU team at Baylor/St. Luke's Medical Center, developing and enacting exercise plans for medically compromised patients. Since 2021, he has been with the Liver Transplant Program, implementing a hospital-wide method for assessing transplant patients' physical suitability, providing post-transplant follow-up, and developing a virtual pre-habilitation program to improve outcomes.During this time he has also worked with the surgical staff helping them prevent musculoskeletal and repetitive motion injuries. Gil has worked with providers both on a 1-on-1 basis, addressing specific needs and issues, as well as presenting the topic of OR ergonomics, inter- & intra-op preventative exercises to incoming resident cohorts during an annual bootcamp at Baylor College of Medicine. In this episode Mr. Spitz:- Describes his journey from being a musician playing classical guitar to then building a career as an exercise physiologist- Explains why he likens surgeons to elite athletes, except that little attention is paid to surgeons' recovery period- Emphasizes that surgeons need to pay attention to their sleep hygiene, address inflammation, evaluation by a functional movement specialist (or a PT/OT) to assess muscle imbalances and passive to active stretching- Advises surgeons to prioritize their physical health and protect their investment (time, money and effort spent on training and working on their craft)- Discusses the differences between male and female athletes with respect to strength, mobility and prolonged static tasks and how athlete training programs are actually designed around their menstrual cycles- Shares emerging research in the area of exercise physiology with respect to exercising with blood flow restriction- Emphasizes certain types of maneuvres that pregnant surgeons need to focus on (chin tucks, scapular retraction etc. ) to maintain a more balanced posture- 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, the special rates they are offering for podcast listerners and schedule a demo via : https://q-optics.com/pages/surgicalergonomics-drlalDisclosure: 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 themYou can learn about ergonomic loupes straps developed by Dr. Suh here: https://suhhermsen.com/ergonmic-loupe-strapYou 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 ORYou can reach Dr. Quon directly via email: [email protected] 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 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-drlalDisclosure: 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. Patricia Trbovich is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and cross appointed at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. She holds the Badeau Family Research Chair in Patient Safety and Quality Improvement at North York General Hospital. She is the Research and Scholarship lead, Centre for Quality Improvement & Patient Safety (C-QuIPS). Patricia leads HumanEra, a team dedicated to enhancing healthcare safety and performance through human factors research. With over 15 years of experience, she's implemented health technologies and trained professionals worldwide. Now, she’s focused on advancing surgical safety through innovative tools such as the OR Black Box to identify safety threats to provider and patient safety, apply human factors principles to operationalize resilience, and prototype and test human factors informed interventions.  In this episode Dr. Trbovich:- Shares her training background and how she arrived at her current role- Defines cognitive ergonomics as a branch of Human Factors that focuses on how we design systems to support the way people think, the way they make decisions and how they manage information, especially under pressure- Describes the consequences of not paying attention to workers' cognitive ergonomics in the OR, such as, creating conditions where they are overloaded and forced into task-switching (often mistaken for multi-tasking) which then increases the risk of errors- Discusses her work where her team have identified the most interrupted time for anesthesiologists (i.e. emergence) and nurses (i.e. closing counts)- Elaborates on the OR black box and other tools (surveys such as the NASA-Task Load Index, observations, objective measures of physiologic responses and behavior markers) that are used to study interruptions and understand work as it is done, and not as it is imagined- Shares Black box data is useful to look at not only safety threats but also resilience supports and psychological safety.....- Discusses strategies for preserving cognitive bandwidth of various team members in the OR e.g. calling out increasing cognitive load prior to it reaching a critical point, using checklists and other visual indicators and looking at how often staff are task-switching You can learn more about the work references in this episode in these articles:1) https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/10/e104713.long2)https://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/fulltext/2024/07000/using_the_operating_room_black_box_to_assess.13.aspxYou can reach Dr. Trbovich on Linked InFollow 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, the special rates they are offering for podcast listerners and schedule a demo via : https://q-optics.com/pages/surgicalergonomics-drlalDisclosure: 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. Erin Sheffield is a board certified oral maxillofacial surgeon, speaker, educator, and advocate. Her passion is reshaping the culture of surgery by amplifying the voices of women and redefining what it means to thrive in this high demand profession. She is the founder of The Doctor Is ALL In (formerly known as Elevate Summit), a wellness and leadership retreat for women in Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, and co-host of The Resting Stitch Face Podcast, where she leads unfiltered conversations about the realities of life as a woman in surgery.As a content creator, she is known for her openness and authenticity, inspiring the next generation of doctors and empowering patients to make more informed and empowered healthcare choices. She practices at Quincy Medical Group, a large multispecialty physicians group in Illinois. She previously served as assistant professor at the Univeristy of Iowa and currently serves on institutional committees for antiobiotic stewardship and ambulatory surgery. In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Sheffield- Shares how although dentistry training does a better job than surgical training reminding trainees about optimal postures during procedures, dentists have high rates of MSK injury- Outlines how she tries to incorporate ergonomic best practices in her own practice and while training dental staff. These include adjusting the height of the chair, sitting during certain procedures, stretching in between cases to name a few- Describes other strategies that she has adopted over the years, including investing in good overhead lights to avoid using headlights, only using loupes when absolutely needed and adjusting workflow to offload physical strain- Expresses how working with a physical therapist was really helpful for overall physical health even though she initially sought them out for pelvic issues post-partum- Discusses how smaller handed dentists (more likely to be women) often have issues handling dental instruments e.g. syringes used to inject local anestheticsYou can reach Dr. Sheffield on:LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-sheffield-dds-9ab281339/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drerinsheffield/Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRestingStitchFacePodcastWebsite: https://www.doctorisallin.com/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, the special rates they are offering for podcast listerners and schedule a demo via : https://q-optics.com/pages/surgicalergonomics-drlalDisclosure: 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. Philip Haigh is an endocrine and oncologic surgeon at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (KP-LAMC), and a Clinical professor at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J Tyson School of Medicine. He is a regional resource within the Southern California Permanente Medical Group for treating patients with complicated thyroid, parathyroid disease, and sarcoma. His research interests are  focused on population studies on primary hyperparathyroidism and thyroid disease, and more recently in surgical ergonomics, particularly MSK pain in surgeons. He was a founding member and the first treasurer, and is currently the president of the Society of Surgical Ergonomics.In this episode, Dr. Haigh:- Shares his story of experiencing work-related neck pain, which eventually led to his interest in the field of surgical ergonomics and his role as a founding member and inaugural treasurer of the Society of Surgical Ergonomics (SSE)- Discusses how he  was inspired to change his workflow around neck surgery by using the operating microscope for thyroid surgery (based on one paper that mentioned a potential ergonomic benefit)- Describes his reasons for continuing to use the operating microscope  for thyroid surgery i.e. superior lighting and magnification (obviating the the need for a headlight and loupes respectively). His experience with this technique and findings are summarized in this paper published in the American Journal of Surgery- Stresses the importance of microbreaks and stretches as interventions to improve surgical ergonomics and shares his experience implementing them at his institution- Emphasizes his experience on operating with another surgeon for long and complex cases to reduce both the physical and cognitive load and hence,  working "smarter"- Shares his vision for his role as the next President of the SSEYou can reach Dr. Haigh on X and LinkedInFollow 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 Smart Step Surgical LLC. You can learn about them and schedule a demo via https://www.smartstepsurgical.com/blogs/news/surgical-ergonomic-podcast-promotional-discountDisclosure: Smart Step Surgical is a paid sponsor and the affiliate link above supports the podcast at no cost to you. They also provide our podcast listeners with a discount (20%), so we hope that it is a win-win!Episode details:Dr. Kimberly Kho is currently a Professor, inaugural Chief ofAdvanced Gynecology and MIGS and Associate Chair of Faculty Development in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine.  Most recently, she was a Professor, the Associate Chief of Gynecology, and the Director of the Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center.  In addition to patient care, Dr. Kho has been a National Institutes ofHealth-supported clinical scholar with a focus on evaluating surgical techniques and technologies for the treatment of fibroids, adenomyosis and endometriosis, and more recently on surgical ergonomics. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for AAGL. In this episode (recorded prior to her move) Dr. Kho:- Shares how she first became aware of body mechanics in her intern year while performing an elective C-section with her attending and how her MSK pain was exacerbated in fellowship - Describes how she felt that she could not disclose or discuss her injuries as a new attending trying to establish a practice- Discusses why high-achieving surgeons and proceduralists experience shame, guilt and pressure to perform, thus not seeking help until their bodies force them - Shares results of a recent study showing that 95.7% of gynecologic surgeons have pain during or after performing surgery. In addition, nearly 24% reported changing the surgical modality they offered patients based on their symptoms, and 62.5% were concerned about their ability to operate in the future- Emphasizes that although she still uses conventional laparoscopy, she has switched to doing more robot-assisted surgery for improved ergonomics- Expands on her ergonomics non-negotiables for the OR  -  Correct set-ups for both laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery, anti-fatigue mats, proper footwear and intra-operative breaks and stretches- Encourages us all to work to improve OR culture for all personnel including nurses and scrub techsDr. Kho can be reached on LinkedIn and InstagramFollow 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-drlalDisclosure: 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. Amanda Laird is a fellowship-trained endocrine surgeon Dr. Laird is a fellowship trained endocrine surgeon and Chief of the Section of Endocrine Surgery at Rutgers Cancer Institute. She treats neuroendocrine and endocrine tumors of the thyroid, parathyroid glands, and adrenal glands, and has obtained a Designation of Focused Practice in Adult Complex Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery from the American Board of Surgery.  Dr. Laird serves on several committees for both the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and the Association of Academic Surgery. Her clinical research has yielded peer-reviewed publications, reviews, book chapters, and both national and international presentations. In this episode, Dr. Laird:- Provides how the spectrum of MSK injuries varies, depending upon specialty and the types of cases one does- Discusses that endocrine surgeons have a high rate of MSK symptoms (90% in a survey study Am J Surg 2022 Jul;224(1 Pt B):315-318).- Shares that she has had multiple MSK injuries (some needing surgery) throughout her training and career, ultimately leading to a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Type 3- Reflects on how the expectations placed on providers and the culture of surgery makes it harder for individuals to seek help for their MSK symptoms- Described some of the lessons she has learned during her ergonomics journey, including how she has modified her endocrine practice to reduce the strain on her body (e.g. operating from the same side of the table as the pathology during thyroidectomy, taking breaks)You can reach Dr. Laird on LinkedIn here.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:Barbara Van Gorp is a clinical specialist with Iowa Orthopedics, Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation within University of Iowa Health Care.  She received both her MTP and tDPT from Concordia University Wisconsin.  She has nearly 25 years of clinical experience. In addition, Barbara performs research on the management of chronic spine  and tendinopathy pain.  She has presented her work at numerous state, national and international conferences.  In her free time, Barbara enjoys painting nature and outdoor scenes, bike riding, hiking, gardening and cooking for her family and friends.  In this episode Dr. Van Gorp:- Shares how she became interested in treating healthcare workers for MSK symptoms- Describes how sustained forward head posture (in and out of the OR)can head to imbalances which manifest as Upper Cross Syndrome- Explains how physical therapy can help with alleviating work-related MSK symptoms via pain relief, postural dynamics via stretching/strenghtening and assessing the mind-body connection. - Discusses how one doesn't need multiple PT appointments a week to get a treatment plan in place - Shares her top high-yield exercises for proceduralists and trainees to address forward head postureYou can reach Barbara here: https://uihc.org/providers/barbara-van-gorpFind additional info at: https://painguide.com/pain-care/self-care/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-drlalDisclosure: 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. Jeremy Greenlee is a Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at the University of Iowa specializing in adult and pediatric neurosurgery. He is the Dr. Arnold H. Menezes Chair in Neurosurgery and Vice-chair in the Department. His research interests include neurophysiology of the frontal lobe, endoscopic and minimally invasive neurosurgery and the treatment of pituitary tumors and movement disorders.In this episode, Dr. Greenlee:- Shares how traditional loupes, although great for visualization, can lead to cervical spine issues due to their weight and fixed (declination) angles - Describes why he gravitated towards using the operating microscope for his cases and how this may help remove some of the ergonomic issues related to using loupes and headlights- Emphasizes that the microscope is not a panacea and it is important to pay attention to how you set up the microscope, keep the arms at the correct height and use arm rests as needed- Discusses how newer loupes with steep angles of declination (including deflection loupes) can be helpful to maintain neutral neck posture in some situations, depending on the depth of the field one is working in- Advises using breaks for improving both physical and cognitive ergonomics- Suggests trying out exoscopes instead of using the operating microscopes, especially when working in small fields- Advises attention to spine health via stretching and strengthening exercises to reduce the risk of degenerative spine issuesFollow 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-drlalDisclosure: 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. Thomas Varghese Jr. is the Chief, Section of General Thoracic Surgery at the University of Utah; Chief Value Officer (Ambulatory and Inpatient) at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI); Associate Chief Medical Quality Officer at Huntsman Cancer Hospital; and a Professor (Tenure-track) in the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Tom is a health services researcher whose clinical, research and operational experience span the fields of innovation science and implementation science. He helped create the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Strong for Surgery program and is a co-PI on the National Cancer Institute RO1-funded clinical trial on the role of Precision Exercise Prescription (PEP) for elective lung cancer surgical resection .Dr. Varghese has served in several leadership positions in various organizations and is the immediate Past President of SUS (presidential term 2024-2025), and is the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS)In this episode, Dr. Varghese:- Shares his journey with musculoskeletal symptoms, which developed on a background of childhood hip dysplasia- Discusses the culture of surgery as a huge barrier to surgeons and procedualists getting the help that they need when they initially develop symptoms- Emphasizes the high rate of musculoskeletal symptoms ("not if, but when") in cardiothoracic surgeons and the risk factors for their development as described in this paper https://www.jtcvs.org/article/S0022-5223(23)00749-3/abstract- Shares his best practices for improved ergonomic health inside and outside the ORDr. Varghese can be reached via his social media handles and website:X: @tomvarghesejrLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tomvarghesejrUniversity of Utah Academic Website: https://healthcare.utah.edu/fad/mddetail.php?physicianID=u6001828Follow 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 needYou 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-drlalDisclosure: 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 programsYou can reach Dr. Yadav via the following social media platforms:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjay-yadav-ms-mch-facs-36268282/?originalSubdomain=inInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yadav_sanjaykumar/X: https://x.com/drskyindFollow 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-drlalDisclosure: 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 surgeryYou can reach Dr. Hallet at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliehallet/ or via email at: [email protected] 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 replacedYou can read more about Posechecker (TM) here: https://ewiworks.com/posechecker/You can reach Linda at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindalmiller/?originalSubdomain=caFollow 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-drlalDisclosure: 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 ergonomicsRead 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 [email protected] or social media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-amin-384689377/ X: https://x.com/amandaaminmd/status/1560201878444572672Follow 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-drlalDisclosure: 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 improveYou can reach Dr. Fedak via LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-w-m-fedak-md-b833b417a/?originalSubdomain=caYou 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 doYou 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 UsabilityFollow 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 microbreaksDr. 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

Dr. Kris Chrouser is an Associate Professor in Urology and the S. Matthew Berge Research Professor at the University of Michigan and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.  Her research aims to maximize surgical outcomes by optimizing surgeon performance, intraoperative teamwork, and surgeon wellbeing. In addition to teaching operative urology, she also educates trainees in surgical ergonomics, non-technical skills, and improving workplace wellbeing by utilizing quality improvement techniques.  She serves as site director for the VA surgery CRQS program and is the High Reliability Organizational (HRO) Clinician Champion at the Ann Arbor VA.  In this episode, Dr. Chrouser - Familiarizes us with the Surgical Stress Effects model that she developed to study the impact of various factors (including intangibles) that can influence surgical and procedural outcomes- Discusses how surgeon/proceduralist discomfort can affect non-technical (and sometimes technical) performance and many safety events can be traced to issues with communication and other non-technical skills- Explains why we don't have quantitative data regarding how physician work-related musculoskeletal (MSK) injury can affect patient outcomes i.e. lack of reporting- Reviews the prevalence of work-related MSK injuries among urologists and shares tips and trick to help mitigate the risks- Highlights the importance of an "Occupational time-out" after the pre-incision time-out in order to help optimize the environmental factors- Shares the (unpublished) data from her study implementing ergonomic best practices among OR teamsYou can reach Dr. Chrouser via email at [email protected] can access the OR stretch app at https://orstretch.mayoclinic.org/- 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

Shari Stevens is a licensed massage therapist in Iowa City, IA and is the owner and operator of A Healing Touch Massage. She received massage training at the Carlson College of massage therapy in 1999.  She also has additional training in trigger point massage, myofascial massage, assisted stretching techniques such as Active Isolated Stretching and Stuart Taws' Soft Tissue Release. Before learning massage, Shari worked as a lawyer for 10 years.In this episode Ms. Stevens- Shares her journey of her career transition from attorney to massage therapists- Helps us understand what is meant by myofascial pain- Reminds us about the different types of massage therapy available including Swedish massage, Myofascial release, Shiatsu (accupressure point-based) etc.- Shares tips on how to find an appropriate massage therapist and what typical treatment programs might  look like- Gives us some tips on how we can work on trigger points by ourselves at homeYou can reach Shari at icmassage.netThe Trigger Point Therapy workbook: https://www.newharbinger.com/9781608824960/the-trigger-point-therapy-workbook/Theracane: https://theracane.com/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. Ian S. Soriano is a general, gastrointestinal and bariatric surgeon and serves as Director of robotic surgery for the UCSF Department of Surgery. Dr. Soriano's research focuses on using laparoscopic and robotic techniques to reduce surgical complications and improve patient outcomes. He also studies ways to support the longevity of surgical careers through robotics and ergonomics.In this episode, Dr. Soriano- Provides tips for setting oneself up for ergonomic success in laparoscopic surgery with proper table height, anti-fatigue mats and placement of monitors- Discusses the history and ergonomic challenges of laparoscopy and specifically laparoscopic retractors and staplers- Explores the differences between manual and powered staplers with respect to patient outcomes, surgeon ergonomics and costs- Provides tips for setting oneself up for ergonomic success in robot-assisted surgery, including choice of chair to sit on-  Describes the importance of breaks and stretches in both types of surgery- Reminds us to pay attention to the ergonomic concerns of the assistant at the bedside in robot-assistant surgery-  Shares  that using hand-activated cautery and other energy devices also helps us to reduce ergonomic strainYou can reach Dr. Soriano here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-s-soriano-md-67996a83/Watch the webinar on Staplers at the Society of Surgical Ergonomics website:  https://www.societyofsurgicalergonomics.org/Explore the OR stretch app at: https://orstretch.mayoclinic.org/Review the ACS Ergonomics taskforce recommendations at: https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/education/programs/surgical-ergonomics/recommendations/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. Amy D. Zhang is an associate clinical professor of the glaucoma service at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center.  She was previously at Case Western University where she was the glaucoma fellowship director.  Her clinical interests are her work in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery and home tonometry. She is the well-being director for the Department of Ophthalmology and most recently a faculty associate of the Office of Well-Being at Michigan Medicine.  She has an interest in improving ophthalmic ergonomics and looking into addressing drivers of burnout across the health system. She has collaborated with the School of Kinesiology and has current collaborations with Industrial Engineering examining the role of human factors engineering in healthcare. In this episode, Dr.  Zhang:- Emphasizes that ophthalmologists have very high rates of work-related MSK symptoms- Describes best practices for ophthalmology trainees and practitioners to set themselves up for ergonomic success in the OR (especially with the microscope) and in the clinic (at the slit lamp)- Shares tips and tricks for working ergonomically in clinic workrooms with computer workstations- Discusses the ergonomic challenges faced by proceduralists with the onset of presbyopia and provides us with key points to discuss with our eyecare providers when getting fitted with eyewearUse this article and included toolkit published by Dr. Zhang to describe your work to your eyecare providerDr. Zhang can be reached here-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

Marc S. Rubin,MD is a colon and rectal surgeon who has been practicing on Boston’s North Shore for 30 years. He is Chair of the department of surgery at Mass General Brigham – Salem hospital, previously served as Division Chief of Community Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and is an Assistant Professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. Nationally, he is a past Governor of the American College of Surgeons and has served as an Associate Editor of the journal Diseases of the Colon and Rectum. In this episode, Dr. Rubin:- Tells us about his own journey with musculoskeletal symptoms pertaining to his neck, which ultimately led to a career-altering injury- Emphasizes that surgical leaders need to take an active role in not only shining a light on the problem of work-related repetitive strain injuries among surgeons but also work to help remedy the current situation- Shares how he advocated for ergonomics coaching and equipment  with administration at his institution by making both a wellness and financial case- Stresses the importance of including all the stakeholders when advocating for ergonomic changes in procedural areas (which might have helped reduce some of the pushback and barriers to implementation) i- Points out that education may not be effective on its own and it is therefore important to hardwire changes in the environment so that good ergonomics is the default situation - Shares his own experience with my video-based ergonomics coaching (using AI based proprietary software developed by my partner Linda Miller) and how it helped improve his ergonomics both inside and outside the OR- Suggests that we need to work with our hospitals and specialty societies to develop ergonomics guidelines that can implemented without being burdensome- Recommends that we work to make safe spaces for early reporting of symptoms so that employees can get the help they need before injuries become chronic or permanentYou can reach Dr. Rubin here.You can learn more about Sugical Ergonomics coaching I offer here.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

Stephanie Pearson, MD, FACOG, is a board-certified OB/GYN, educator, and advocate for physician well-being. After a career-ending injury, she co-founded PearsonRavitz, a national insurance brokerage dedicated to protecting physicians. Drawing from her own experience, Stephanie educates and empowers physicians on the importance of disability and life insurance.  A sought-after speaker, she addresses physician advocacy, healthcare disparities, and self-care, inspiring resilience and financial security. In this episode, Dr. Pearson:- Shares that musculoskeletal disease resulting from poor ergonomics are the #1 reason surgeons leave practice, however these injuries aren't necessarily considered work-related- Alerts us that chronic repetitive strain injuries of the spine (neck and back), shoulder and wrist  constitute the bulk of disorders leading to disability for surgeons, proceduralists and other personnel working in the OR such as techs and nurses- Explains that disability determinations have to be made by a treating physician who has to state that an individual cannot do their job safely before a claim is submitted to an insurance carrier. Carriers can challenge the disability claim and arrange independent medical exams and imaging review- Shares the the key differences between employer-based and private disability policies  with respect to pre- vs. post-tax benefits, ownership (portability) and language surrounding the definition of own-occupation riders and total disability- Reminds us to carefully check our group disability policies as some may not even cover work-related injuries and others may place limits of 2 years of payment for these injuries- Urges that clients understand the difference between an insurance broker vs. an insurance agent and that a personal policy should be bought as soon as possible during training (to get maximal coverage for lower cost)- Provides her top 5 tips to consider when shopping for disability insurance.You can reach Dr. Pearson via the following means:Website: www.stephaniepearson.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniepearsonmd/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drstephaniepearson/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. Andrew Gabrielson is currently a chief resident at the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  He has a longstanding interest in surgical ergonomics and the study of work-related injury among physicians and surgeons. He previously served on the board of directors and co-chair of the IT/communications committee of the Society of Surgical Ergonomics.  Dr. Gabrielson is headed to Chicago next year for his fellowship in pediatric urology at Northwestern/Lurie Children’s Hospital In this episode Dr. Gabrielson- Shares his personal journey, including how he became interested in surgical ergonomics- Sheds light on the culture of surgery, where individuals delay seeking care for injuries - Highlights that 70-90% of surgical trainees report having musculoskeletal symptoms within the past year, and that 30-40% of injuries are moderate to severe- Emphasizes that trainees from all levels are affected, and that both physical and cognitive ergonomics matter in procedural spaces- Provides resources for trainees to learn about ergonomics i.e. the American College of Surgeons' Ergonomics Taskforce recommendations, the SSE website and various articles- Introduces the concept of an Ergonomics Timeout and how trainees can take the initiative to set up things in the OR- Shares tips for urologists to optimize ergonomics for cystoscopyYou can connect with Dr. Gabrielson on X/Twitter: @UroGabe  or Blue Sky: urogabe.bsky.socialFollow 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. Pamela Hess is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions in the Department of Occupational Therapy, with a joint appointment in the Department of Surgery. Her clinical background includes inpatient acute care pelvic health. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, specializing in women's health and surgical ergonomics and wellbeing.  In her current role, she is developing programmatic initiatives to support the surgeon’s wellbeing in the out of the OR. Lastly, she is also a certified pilates instructor. In this episode, Dr. Hess:  a)    Shares her personal journey, training and how she became interested in surgical ergonomics b)    Explains the details and components of the Comprehensive Operating Room Ergonomics (CORE) program she helped launch at the University of Indiana, where she worked prior to moving to Florida. The program was focused on preventing surgeon work-related musculoskeletal disorders and led to a publication in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.c)    Emphasizes the importance of assessing work both inside and outside the operating room and highlights best practices including paying attention to one’s setup, posture and taking short breaks. d)    Stresses the importance of a strong core and provides information about Surgilates, a strength and stretching program she has developed (based on her Pilates training) specifically for surgeons and other personnel working in the OR. e)    Discusses some of the specific issues relating to ergonomics for women proceduralists, and provides tips for working in procedural areas while pregnant.  f)      Reminds us that pelvic floor dysfunction can affect all proceduralists, regardless of sex, and consulting a physical therapist or occupational therapist is essential in this scenario. You can follow Dr. Hess on LinkedIn and email her at [email protected] if you’re interested in surgical ergonomics coaching,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. M. Susan Hallbeck, PE, CPE is the Scientific Director of Human Factors Engineering and Professor of Health Care Systems Engineering in the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Healthcare Delivery and a Consultant in Health Care Delivery Research, as well as a Consultant in Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Dr. Hallbeck is the Past-President of both the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) and the Society for Surgical Ergonomics. Dr. Hallbeck is a licensed professional engineer and a certified professional ergonomist. In this episode, Dr. Hallbeck:  Shares her personal journey, training and how she became interested in surgical ergonomicsDefines the term “Ergonomics”, which is derived from the Greek words “ergon” meaning work and “nomos” meaning natural law.Shares that 60-80% of surgeons and procedural staff report suffering from work-related musculoskeletal (WRMSK) symptoms and that 50% of them fear that the symptoms will affect that career longevityEmphasizes that WRMSK symtoms have consequences for the individual health care worker (including being associated with burnout) and society as a whole.Provides some tips for healthcare workers wishing to improve their ergonomics both in and out of the operating roomDiscusses the importance of taking breaks and performing posture resets as an important ergonomic intervention which improved both physical and mental wellbeing, without increasing OR time. You can use the free OR stretch app to get started with taking breaks during procedures.Shares the initial results from the hand-size study being performed via the Society of Surgical Ergonomics.  The purpose of the study is to better inform future instrument design by learning how surgeon hand and glove size correlate with grip strength and other variables. Please take a few minutes to contribute to this study here.You can follow Dr. Hallbeck on LinkedIn and access other important resources pertaining to her work here. 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