Prospective Evaluation of Surgical Ergonomics Among Endocrine Surgeons in Open Thyroidectomy: A Pilot Study.
Operating surgeons show greater ergonomic strain than assisting surgeons during open thyroidectomy
Prospective Evaluation of Surgical Ergonomics Among Endocrine Surgeons in Open Thyroidectomy: A Pilot Study.
Surgeons performing open thyroidectomy are prone to ergonomic strain due to head-mounted lighting, prolonged static posture, and repetitive fine-motor activity.
This prospective observational pilot study was conducted in a tertiary endocrine surgery department.
operating surgeons show worse ergonomic strain than assistants during surgery
Operating surgeons demonstrated significant rises in salivary CK (3.5 → 11 U/L), AST (3.8 → 15 U/L), and LDH (102 → 370 U/L) (all p < 0.001), with a modest, non-significant decline in grip strength.
Assistant surgeons showed significant increases in CK (4.9 → 16.85 U/L) and AST (19 → 32.8 U/L), a slight reduction in LDH, and a significant improvement in grip strength (201 → 535.5 N, p < 0.001).
Open thyroidectomy imposes considerable ergonomic and physiological stress, with operating surgeons bearing higher strain from static posture and awkward positioning.
Assistant surgeons experience different but measurable patterns of muscular activation.
This study highlights the feasibility of combining salivary biomarkers, grip strength, and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment scoring for ergonomic assessment and emphasizes the need for ergonomic awareness in surgical training.