Sitting versus standing makes a difference in musculoskeletal discomfort and postural load for surgeons performing vaginal surgery

We compared musculoskeletal discomfort and postural load among surgeons in sitting and standing positions during vaginal surgery. Assessment of discomfort and posture of the primary surgeons in both positions was performed at two institutions. The primary outcome was an increase in body discomfort score after surgery as determined from subjective responses using validated tools. The secondary outcome was the percentage of time spent in awkward body postures measured objectively and stratified into awkward postures for neck, trunk, and bilateral shoulder angles. Variables were compared between sitting and standing positions using Fisher’s exact test for primary outcomes and Wilcoxon rank-sum test for secondary outcomes. Data were collected for 24 surgeries from four surgeons in sitting position and nine surgeries from nine surgeons in standing position. The standing surgeons reported a significant increase in discomfort postoperatively for bilateral wrists, thighs, and lower legs compared with the sitting surgeons. The median percentage of time spent in awkward postures was significantly lower for the trunk in the standing versus sitting position (median 0.3% vs 58.8%, p