1) Ascertain the prevalence of work-related pain (WRP) amongst gynecologic surgeons, 2) describe risk factors and sequelae of WRP and 3) assess the need for an ergonomic curriculum.

Design:

Survey study.

Setting:

Electronic anonymous survey.

Patients or Participants:

Attending gynecologic surgeons, including subspecialists and fellows, were invited to participate. The AAGL distributed the survey to the FMIGS community.

Interventions:

A 38-question survey with three main sections, including demographic information, pain history and ergonomic education, was developed.

Measurements and Main Results:

305 gynecologic surgeons completed the survey. The majority were female and age 26 to 45. Most identified as Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgeons (64.6%) with a primary surgical modality of conventional laparoscopy (65.6%). The response rate was 38%. 95.7% of respondents reported pain during or after surgery. Female surgeons (p = 0.018), surgeons with a smaller glove size (p = 0.025), and those shorter than 5’6” (OR = 2.4, 95% CI [1.1, 5.4]) were more likely to report severe pain. Surgeons that reported worse pain were more likely to seek treatment (p = 0.007) and take time off from operating (p = <0.001). There was no difference in reporting severe pain, the need to take time off, or seeking treatment associated with age, subspecialty or surgical modality. 79.4% of participants report engaging in therapies to address WRP. 7% have reported an injury to occupational health. Attributed to WRP, 23.9% report changing surgical modality and 62.5% of surgeons are concerned about their ability to operate in the future. 71.8% of respondents report never receiving ergonomic training. 98.0% felt that formal ergonomic training would be valuable to residents.

Conclusion:

Gynecologic surgeons are an understudied population with specific ergonomic challenges. We sampled a national group of high-volume gynecologic surgeons and identified a high rate of WRP, significant sequelae of pain, and demonstrate a need for ergonomic training for obstetrics and gynecology trainees.