Surgeon fatigue is a very dangerous thing. One little mistake can literally mean life or death. A new study suggests that taking short, frequent breaks during surgery is the solution to surgeon fatigue.
These “micropauses” – 20 second breaks every 20 minutes – can help decrease fatigue and increase accuracy, according to the study.
The study, conducted by two Canadian surgeons, examined 10 surgeons and 6 residents three times –before surgery, during a 2 hour+ surgical procedure, and during the same 2 hour procedure with the micropauses included. Muscle fatigue was significantly less when the surgeons took micropauses.
Dr. Silverman Comments
Academics and athletes agree that pausing during prolonged activity is helpful. Taking breaks relaxes muscles and tendons, and expands disc spaces in your neck and back, allowing them access to much-needed oxygen. More importantly however, the brain is given a small timeout to regroup, increasing its ability to handle complicated tasks.
I have found success with long breaks between long periods of time, but I think it’s a better idea to take shorter breaks more frequently. My patients often ask how often they should stretch areas in which they’re trying to improve motion. I tell them it’s always better to stretch many times a day for short periods of time rather than a few times a day for long periods of time. This study seems to extend this concept to the surgical world and suggests that surgeons can decrease their error rate with short, frequent breaks.
Related Sources:
Reuters.com