Effects of prismatic loupes on surgeons’ intraoperative physical workload and musculoskeletal discomfort in operating room

Previous study showed that surgical prismatic loupes improved surgeon physical workload and neck discomfort in a lab setting. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the effects of prismatic loupes in operating room. Fifteen surgeons performed two similar operations (median duration of 54 minutes) using prismatic and conventional loupes. The muscle activities and work postures were recorded. Questionnaires including body part discomfort and usability were completed. Compared to conventional loupes, prismatic loupes led to a significant decrease in muscle activity levels in the upper trapezius and neck extensors, head forward bending, and neck pain postoperatively (all p < 0.05). Most surgeons reported high usability scores for the prismatic loupes. The study showed that surgical prismatic loupes can improve surgeons' intraoperative physical workload and musculoskeletal discomfort in real surgeries in short term. Future studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of using prismatic loupes on surgeon well-being and surgical performance.