Work-Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Associated Factors in Laparoscopic Surgeons of Peruvian Hospitals

The study aimed to determine the prevalence of Work-related Musculoskeletal Symptoms (WRMS) and associated work system factors impacting laparoscopic surgery in Peruvian Hospitals. Methods: An online survey with 17 questions was sent to 320 laparoscopic surgeons in different hospitals in Perú. The survey was distributed by email and paper format and consisted of six sections: informed consent, demographic data, physical symptoms, working conditions, impact on surgeons and others. Descriptive data were presented in tables and figures while associations were established using chi-square and fisher´s exact tests with a significance of 0.05. Results: 140 surgeons responded to the survey. Most surgeons worked more than 5 years (57%) and belong to the age group 30–60 years (87%). The prevalence rate of WRMS in survey respondents was 89%, with targeted WRMS identified in the following body regions: shoulders (59%), neck (51%), hand/wrist (41%) and upper back (43%). Duration and complexity of surgeries (nature of tasks) and inadequate table height (technology) were considered as highly contributing factors to WRMS by more than 50% of surgeons surveyed. 40% of surgeons considered the lack of suitable equipment and inadequate training as a highly contributed factor to WRMS. Conclusion: The study determined a high rate of WRMS, especially in the upper body region. These WRMS were associated with several work factors mainly related to inadequate operating table height, duration and complexity of surgeries, lack of suitable equipment and training.