No abstract

Women surgeons are experiencing more discomfort and treatment in their hands than male surgeons. Redesign of laparoscopic instrument handles and improvements to table height comprise the most promising solutions to these ergonomic challenges.

A high-risk ergonomic situation is created by the assistant's left or caudal leg disproportionately bearing 70-80% of body weight over time. A distance increase between the camera head location and the camera holder increases ergonomic risk. The phase effect was interpreted as a compensatory rebalancing to reduce ergonomic risk. Ergonomic solutions minimizing ergonomic risks associated with laparoscopic assistance should be considered.

Though in its infancy, the discipline of surgical ergonomics is increasingly valued. Still, little has been written regarding this field's tasks, models, and measurement systems. These 3 critical experimental components are crucial in objectively and accurately assessing joint and postural control as exhibited by expert laparoscopic surgeons. Such assessments will establish characteristic patterns important for surgical training. In addition, risk factors associated with both minimally invasive surgical instruments and the operating room environment can be identified and minimized. Our review focuses on evidence-based experimental ergonomic studies undertaken in the field of laparoscopic surgery. Publications were located through PubMed and other database and library searches. This article describes tasks, models, and measurement systems and considers their specific applications and the types of data obtainable with the use of each. Advantages and limitations, especially those of measurement systems, are compared and discussed. Future trends and directions believed necessary for optimal investigation and results are also addressed.