Prevention of Work‐Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Career Sustainability in Head and Neck Reconstructive Surgery: Integrating Ergonomics and Physical Conditioning
Babak Shadgan, Oleksandr Butskiy, Nikos C. Apostolopoulos, Lernik Sarkissian, Brent Chang, Donald AndersonABSTRACT
Background
Head and neck reconstructive and plastic surgery exposes surgeons to prolonged static posture, sustained visualization of a narrow operative field, cervical and shoulder loading, fine‐motor work, and extended standing. These demands create a substantial occupational musculoskeletal burden.
Methods
A structured narrative review and expert perspective synthesized evidence from head and neck surgery, reconstructive microsurgery, plastic surgery, surgical ergonomics, occupational health, and rehabilitation.
Results
Musculoskeletal symptoms commonly involve the neck, shoulders, back, and upper extremities and often begin during residency. Exposure varies by operative phase, visualization, anthropometric and team‐level mismatch, prolonged standing, and repetitive operative workload. Prevention extends beyond ergonomic setup to phase‐specific exposure modification, physical conditioning, mobility and recovery, footwear and standing‐surface optimization, wearable feedback, early assessment, and diagnosis‐specific rehabilitation.
Conclusions
Career sustainability requires reducing avoidable occupational load while preserving physical capacity and restoring function through recognition, modification, conditioning, recovery, assessment, and rehabilitation.