Ambidextrous Surgical Techniques

[huh22]

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so i'm one of those bizarre ambidextrous/pseudo left-handed type people. i write with my left hand, but do almost everything else right handed. basically, i have more control with my left hand, but more strength with my right.

i'm just an ms3 but i'm having problems figuring out exactly what hand to use with certain surgical tools and was just wondering if any ambi people out there had suggestions. i'm getting tired of attendings asking me "are you right or left-handed"...i'm kinda ambi actually..."what?! what hand do you write with?!" and so on.

i've found i'm more comfortable using my left hand for pickups and my right hand for the needle driver, but i have problems backhanding and i'm thinking why not just switch and use my left hand for the needle driver. is it weird to switch your instruments between hands?

just wondering if anyone had any experience with this and whether or not i there's a way to use this to my advantage.

thanks!

 

[Blade28]

i've found i'm more comfortable using my left hand for pickups and my right hand for the needle driver, but i have problems backhanding and i'm thinking why not just switch and use my left hand for the needle driver. is it weird to switch your instruments between hands?

Sounds like you're right-handed. Most of us use pickups in our left hand, to assist the right (dominant) hand in whatever we're doing - cutting, tying, dissecting, etc.

 

[SocialistMD]

As a left-handed person who can do most things in the OR with either hand, I would recommend against switching hands with a needle driver. Learn to backhand. If you are an MS-3 now, it will not be an issue by your intern year if you practice. If you are fluid in things, attendings will rarely notice you switching between doing things with your right or left hand (attendings know I'm left handed, but if something is easier positioning-wise or they set things up for me to do it right-handed and I do it with my right hand, they generally don't notice unless I struggle), but to switch hands with a needle driver will involve (1) moving a needle more than it should be moved (you run the risk of dropping it/sticking someone while switching hands) and (2) switching your body position, which does not equal economy of motion. I tried this once when I was closing by myself, and it was awkward. I can only imagine the response I would have had if a chief or attending had been in the room watching me.

My advice is to pick a dominant hand and use it as much as possible. It is nice to be able to use both when you need to, but it is better to be good with one than okay with both.

 

[Fah-Q]

Pick a hand and stick with it. I would recommend going with your right hand. All surgical instruments are designed for righties and all textbooks and surgical atlases are written/illustrated for the right-handed surgeon. If you do any microsurgery it makes a huge difference when either the surgeon or assistant is left-handed.

 

[Faebinder]

As a double handed person my advise is the same as above. Pick a hand and stick with it.

 

[madtowngirl]

as a left-handed resident, I'd strongly suggest you stick with right-hand dominant technique if you can. Its true that instruments and texts are written for right-handed people. Try palming a needle driver with your left hand and you'll see what I mean. Also, right-handed attendings get really irritated trying to teach lefties sometimes. For the most part its fine, but there are things that make me wish I was right handed in the OR!

 

[CattleprodSurg]

I rec developing you right handed skills. Use the needle driver in your right hand and pick up in the left hand. Besides the fact that all instruments are designed for right handed people, the vast majority of you assistants will be right handed. That means you won't get in each others way when operating.

Speaking from the perspective of being strongly left handed, one is at a handicap in the OR in my opinion.
As a left hander one is forced to compensate and think outside the box to solve spacial orientation problems, like moving your body into the correct position, learn to use right handed instruments with your left hand and making your right handed assistant comfortable etc...

 

[Blade28]

I agree that if it's at all possible, "become" right-handed. A few older attendings here refuse to teach people how to operate with their left hands.

On a related note, one of my chiefs from my intern year was left-handed, yet when he started his MS-III year he forced himself to hold all instruments in a right-handed fashion. His reasoning was, "well I'm equally clumsy in the OR with both hands, so why not practice with my right hand?" Brilliant.

 

[Kubed]

You guys are bumming me out. I thought that in surgery I would have found a practical application for my freak like ability to write with both hands... oh well, there's still drumming.

 

[Anka]

You guys are bumming me out. I thought that in surgery I would have found a practical application for my freak like ability to write with both hands... oh well, there's still drumming.

You're left had is useful even if you're sewing right handed. One of my favorite chiefs (who I didn't know was left handed for like a year after I met him) always says "The right hand is dumb. All it does is turn at the wrist. It's all the left hand and the load."

Anka

 

[DrDawg]

Don't get to down. When we had a visiting prof last year (maybe Dr. O'leary), one of our residents noted he was ambidextrious, and asked him about it. Apparently he taught himself to be ambidextrious. I would agree with everyone else, for now just use your right hand.

 

[Blade28]

You're left had is useful even if you're sewing right handed. One of my favorite chiefs (who I didn't know was left handed for like a year after I met him) always says "The right hand is dumb. All it does is turn at the wrist. It's all the left hand and the load."

Anka

It's like how lap choles are all about retraction with the left hand!

I can draw with both hands, but not write. Go figure. 😕