Left-handedness--a handicap for training in surgery?
BACKGROUND
Left-handedness was historically considered a disability and a social stigma, and teachers would make efforts to suppress it in their students. Little data are available on the impact of left-handedness on surgical training. This report reviews available data on this subject.


METHODS
We did systematic electronic and manual literature searches using a predetermined strategy independently by 2 investigators, 1 left- and 1 right-handed, to identify reports on surgical training and left-handedness.


RESULTS
The review revealed 19 studies on the subject of left-handedness and surgical training. Data were heterogeneous and based mostly on surveys. Left-handedness produced anxiety in residents and their trainers. There was a lack of mentoring on laterality. Surgical instruments, both conventional and laparoscopic, are not adapted to left-handed use and require ambilaterality training from the resident. There is significant pressure to change hand laterality during training. However, left-handedness might present an advantage in operations involving situs inversus or left lower limb operations.


CONCLUSIONS
Left-handedness is a challenge both for the trainee and the trainer in surgery. Early laterality-related mentoring in medical school and during surgical residency with provision of left-handed instruments might reduce the inconveniences of left-handed surgeons learning.
Tchantchaleishvili
Vakhtang
V
Division of Cardiac Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. vtchantchaleishvili@bics.bwh.harvard.edu
Myers
Patrick O
PO
D007839:Functional Laterality; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008611:Mentors; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000193:education*