Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among surgeons performing minimally invasive surgery: A systematic review

Chantal C.J. Alleblas*, Anne Marie De Man, Lukas Van Den Haak, Mark E. Vierhout, Frank Willem Jansen, Theodoor E. Nieboer

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

81 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to review musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) prevalence among surgeons performing minimally invasive surgery. Background: Advancements in laparoscopic surgery have primarily focused on enhancing patient benefits. However, compared with open surgery, laparoscopic surgery imposes greater ergonomic constraints on surgeons. Recent reports indicate a 73% to 88% prevalence of physical complaints among laparoscopic surgeons, which is greater than in the general working population, supporting the need to address the surgeons' physical health. Methods: To summarize the prevalence of MSDs among surgeons performing laparoscopic surgery, we performed a systematic review of studies addressing physical ergonomics as a determinant, and reporting MSD prevalence. On April 15 2016, we searched Pubmed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsychINFO. Meta-analyses were performed using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman method. Results: We identified 35 articles, including 7112 respondents. The weighted average prevalence of complaints was 74% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 65-83]. We found high inconsistency across study results (I 2 = 98.3%) and the overall response rate was low. If all nonresponders were without complaints, the prevalence would be 22% (95% CI 16-30). Conclusions: From the available literature, we found a 74% prevalence of physical complaints among laparoscopic surgeons. However, the low response rates and the high inconsistency across studies leave some uncertainty, suggesting an actual prevalence of between 22% and 74%. Fatigue and MSDs impact psychomotor performance; therefore, these results warrant further investigation. Continuous changes are enacted to increase patient safety and surgical care quality, and should also include efforts to improve surgeons' well-being.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)905-920
JournalAnnals of Surgery
Volume266
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Keywords

  • ergonomics
  • minimally invasive surgery
  • musculoskeletal disorders
  • surgeons' health
  • surgical performance
  • systematic review

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