The impact of intraoperative microbreaks with exercises on surgeons: A multi-center cohort study.
Recent literature has demonstrated ergonomic risk to surgeons in the operating room. One method used in other industries to mitigate these ergonomic risks is the incorporation of microbreaks. Thus, intraoperative microbreaks with exercises in a non-crossover design were studied. Fifty-six attending surgeons from 4 Medical Centers volunteered first in a day of their regular surgeries and then second day where there were microbreaks with exercises that could be performed in the sterile field, answering questions after each case, without significantly increasing the duration of their surgeries. Surgeons self-reported improvement or no change in their mental focus (88%) and physical performance (100%) for the surgical day incorporating microbreaks with exercises. Discomfort in the shoulders was significantly reduced while distractions and flow impact was minimal. Eighty-seven percent of the surgeons wanted to incorporate the microbreaks with exercises into their OR routine. Intraoperative microbreaks with exercises may be a way to mitigate work-related musculoskeletal fatigue, pain and injury.
Mayo Clinic's Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Rochester, MN, United States; Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States; Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States. Electronic address: Hallbeck.susan@mayo.edu.
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Hallbeck
Mayo Clinic's Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Rochester, MN, United States; Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
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Lowndes
Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
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Bingener
Mayo Clinic's Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Rochester, MN, United States; Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
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Abdelrahman
Mayo Clinic's Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Rochester, MN, United States; Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
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Yu
Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
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Bartley
Department of Surgery, Anne Arundel Medical Center, Annapolis, MD, United States; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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Park
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D006804:Ergonomics; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018763:Muscle Fatigue; D016272:Occupational Health; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D066231:Surgeons / Q000523:psychology*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
Microbreaks; Physical and mental performance; Surgery