Can special glasses called prismatic loupes improve surgeons' work and help them feel less uncomfortable while working in the operating room?

Evaluation of prismatic loupes on surgeons' intraoperative physical workload and musculoskeletal discomfort compared to conventional loupes - A crossover randomized controlled trial

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN34264292

Enrollment

Registered

2023-08-23

Start date

2022-03-22

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2023-09-04

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders Musculoskeletal Diseases

Interventions

Each participating surgeon conducted two comparable procedures in the measurement day, using prismatic loupes and conventional loupes, interspersed by a standard break as per the hospital's routine sc

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Currently actively working as surgeons. 2. Work experience as surgeons >= 2 years. 3. Work actively with open surgeries in vascular surgery or in otorhinolaryngology (endocrine surgery).

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Surgeons who experienced severe physical symptoms when using the prismatic loupes.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Physical workload was measured using two sets of sensors during the whole surgeries. First, bipolar surface EMG was recorded bilaterally from the neck extensors and upper trapezius. Second, upper arms, trunk, and head postures and movements were recoded using inertial measurement units (IMUs).	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Perceived body-part discomforts of neck, both shoulders, upper and lower back, and fatigue were measured using Borg CR-10 scale before and after each surgery. 2. Perceived visual qualities of the loupes were measured using 5-point Likert-type scale scoring from very bad to very good after each surgery. 3. Potential physical symptoms related to loupes usage including double vision, headache and nausea were assessed on a 4-point scale scoring from severe to no symptoms after each surgery. 4. Self-rated surgical workload was assessed using a modified NASA-TLX scale, including dimensions of mental and physical demand, temporal demand, distractions, frustrations, task complexity, situational stress, and performance after each surgery. 5. The usability of the prismatic loupes, including easiness to use and intention for frequent future use, was measured using a 5-point Likert scale after all surgeries. 6. Subjective evaluations and experiences of the loupes were measured using semi-structured interview after all surgeries.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Perceived body-part discomforts of neck, both shoulders, upper and lower back, and fatigue were measured using Borg CR-10 scale before and after each surgery. 2. Perceived visual qualities of the loupes were measured using 5-point Likert-type scale scoring from very bad to very good after each surgery. 3. Potential physical symptoms related to loupes usage including double vision, headache and nausea were assessed on a 4-point scale scoring from severe to no symptoms after each surgery. 4. Self-rated surgical workload was assessed using a modified NASA-TLX scale, including dimensions of mental and physical demand, temporal demand, distractions, frustrations, task complexity, situational stress, and performance after each surgery. 5. The usability of the prismatic loupes, including easiness to use and intention for frequent future use, was measured using a 5-point Likert scale after all surgeries. 6. Subjective evaluations and experiences of the loupes were measured using semi-structured interview after all surgeries.

—

Countries

Sweden

Contacts

Public ContactLiyun Yang

liyun.yang@ki.se+46 764250005

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026