Psychological and physical stress in surgeons operating in a standard or modern operating room

Purpose: There have been no studies examining the effect of optimized ergonomic and technical environment on the psychological and physiological stress of the surgeon. The aim of this study was to examine whether optimized ergonomics and technical aids within a modern operating room (OR) affect psychological and physiological stress in experienced laparoscopic surgeons. Methods: This was a prospective case-controlled study including 10 experienced surgeons. Surgery was performed in 2 different ORs: a standard room and a modern room (OR1-suite, Karl Storz). The surgeons filled out questionnaires concerning physical and psychological wellbeing before and after surgery and had their heart rate variability registered during surgery. Results: Preoperative to postoperative physical strain and pain measurements revealed a systematical difference with 14 of 15 parameters favoring the modern OR. Two of these parameters reached statistical significance. We did not find any significant differences in the subjective parameters of surgeon satisfaction or the measured heart rate variability parameters. Conclusions: Physical strain on the surgeon was reduced when performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a modern OR compared with a standard room.