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L A P A R A S C O P E S
There's growing concern about the ergonomic challenges related to laparoscopic surgery. With conventional scopes, sometimes I have to really lean out over the patient to get the angle I need. That can be hard on the shoulder and back. With the articulating scopes, I don't have to do that, because I can do the majority of my manipulation with a finger and keep the scope in the middle of the surgical site. There's more manual dexterity involved, so there might be more fine-motor complications, instead of lower-back issues, but I suspect this technology will be more ergonomically
friendly overall.
OSM
Dr. Audlin (kaudlin@mdmercy.com) is co-director of The Endometriosis Center at Mercy Medical Center in
Baltimore, Md.
