and traces its way down your entire back. The curvature of your lower
back may even change.
The key is to keep your head up. If you're reading a text message,
move your eyes, not your head. If you can control the height of any
visual, whether it's a computer or a monitor in an OR, do it. Ideally,
you want it directly in front of you, so you're not looking down or
sideways.
Stay loose
As minimally invasive surgery becomes smaller and more specialized,
so do surgeons' movements. That can lead to fatigue, tightness and
repetitive-motion injuries. Surgeons, as soon as they have an opportu-
nity, need to release that tension — either between cases or during
the case, if possible.
How? Lower your arms and roll your shoulders back in at least 5
repetitions of shrugs. If you can, have an assistant do a gentle squeeze
of the elbows behind you to open the thoracic cage. That also puts
your shoulders back in a neutral position and takes pressure off your
neck. It also encourages deeper breaths, which help promote calm.
Core concern
As noted, transporting patients is one of the big ergonomic challenges
in health care. Much has been written about it, and we all should
know how important it is keep our feet apart and lift with our legs,
not with our backs. Healthcare staff members are generally well
trained in the proper protocol. But something extremely important is
lacking from that protocol. Just as waiters need to have arm strength
and shoulder stability, and just as those working on roofs all day need
to have good balance, nurses and surgeons need core strength. And
that requires at least a minimum amount of core exercise every week.
1 0 4
O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J U LY 2 0 1 5
