Can I wear these shoes to Surgery rotation?

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Curlyfriez12

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My surgery rotation is coming up, so I just tried on a pair of Danskos at Nordstrom. They are sooooooo uncomfortable. But the problem is with my feet. My arches are a bit flat, and that hill of an arch support was absolutely killing my arches. I do own a pair of these though

http://www.amazon.com/Crocs-Walu-Re...TF8&qid=1360042968&sr=8-1&keywords=crocs+walu

They are the most comfortable shoe I have ever owned. Problem is that they have a canvas upper. I've heard that some people wear converse chuck taylors for surgery. Could my canvas crocs be appropriate for the OR?
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You can definitely wear those. I would highly recommend wearing the disposable shoe covers over them, otherwise you are likely to get them stained.
 
Curlyfriez12 said:
My surgery rotation is coming up, so I just tried on a pair of Danskos at Nordstrom. They are sooooooo uncomfortable. But the problem is with my feet. My arches are a bit flat, and that hill of an arch support was absolutely killing my arches. I do own a pair of these though

http://www.amazon.com/Crocs-Walu-Re...TF8&qid=1360042968&sr=8-1&keywords=crocs+walu

They are the most comfortable shoe I have ever owned. Problem is that they have a canvas upper. I've heard that some people wear converse chuck taylors for surgery. Could my canvas crocs be appropriate for the OR?
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Well, lets just say if you get thrown out of the OR for your racist jokes, it wont be because of your shoes.
 
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I don't think anyone would say anything about them, but I don't know that I'd wear them. I'd want something with a little more substance in the 1:1000 chance a needle or scalpel gets dropped on my foot.

Also, those shoe covers are nice, but I'd wear the full length ones, or maybe double up. The ones that only cover your shoes can get soaked through and you don't really want to get a ton of Hi5 blood on your shoes.
 
I just tried the Merrell Jungle Moc. Mother of God, are they comfortable or what!?!? Just the right amount of arch support with just the right amount of cushion. More fashion forward than danskos or crocs too, but there is room for improvement in the fashion department. Great find, thanks SDN.
 
You can wear whatever you want as long as it has a closed toe. I would be a bit wary about wearing canvas or cloth shoes because the shoe covers, even when doubling up, are not completely waterproof. That can spell disaster during a bloody case.

I wear the Merrell Jungle Crocs now. Danskos fit my high arch fine but that stiff heel bothered me.
 
I saw some Sperry's in the OR the other day. I think it's a personal decision based on comfort and protection (from needles AND blood spatters)
 
FSU2013 said:
I don't think anyone would say anything about them, but I don't know that I'd wear them. I'd want something with a little more substance in the 1:1000 chance a needle or scalpel gets dropped on my foot.

Also, those shoe covers are nice, but I'd wear the full length ones, or maybe double up. The ones that only cover your shoes can get soaked through and you don't really want to get a ton of Hi5 blood on your shoes.
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More substance in case a needle or scalpel falls on your foot? What grade did you get in physics?

OP you shouldn't wear those shoes for the sole reason that they're absolutely hideous.
 
tiedyeddog said:
FSU had a great point, not sure what you're talking about, Kinda.
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Oh really? Care to tell me how a needle or scalpel that falls a few feet is going to land sharp-end first with enough force to puncture canvas? I'm all ears.
 
kindasorta said:
Oh really? Care to tell me how a needle or scalpel that falls a few feet is going to land sharp-end first with enough force to puncture canvas? I'm all ears.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15606739

Here you go, my friend. Clearly, the mesh shoes (and tennis shoes for that matter) suck at protecting from scalpel fall penetrations.

What grade did you get in physics?
 
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tiedyeddog said:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15606739

Here you go, my friend.

What grade did you get in physics?
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Is every reply to an argument a PudMed search? Use your brain man, Jesus Christ. The odds of something falling blade first are very low. The odds of it then penetrating a CANVAS SHOE? Infinitesimally low.

You gonna wear some doc marten 16 holes or snowboarding boots on your surgery rotation Nervous Nelly?
 
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kindasorta said:
Is every reply to an argument a PudMed search? Use your brain man, Jesus Christ. The odds of something falling blade first are very low. The odds of it then penetrating a CANVAS SHOE? Infinitesimally low.

You gonna wear some doc marten 16 holes or snowboarding boots on your surgery rotation Nervous Nelly?
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Did you calculate the odds of scalpel's falling blade down?! I just showed you a controlled study saying sharps can cut through mesh shoes with ease, in response to you doubting this due to some physics knowledge you have. It is not "infinitesimally low", no matter what grade you got in physics. 😉

I am going to wear something more solid than canvas shoes, yes. That would be a smart thing to do.
 
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tiedyeddog said:
Did you calculate the odds of scalpel's falling blade down?! I just showed you a controlled study saying sharps can cut through mesh shoes with ease, in response to you doubting this was due to physics. It is not "infinitesimally low", no matter what grade you go in physics. 😉

I am going to wear something more solid than canvas shoes, yes. That would be a smart thing to do.
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You sent the abstract to a goofy study that said absolutely nothing of substance. It was likely the first hit on some dumb google search with the keywords "scalpel, surgery, shoes" (ie: the modern med student's version of thought) and somehow you now think you're Stephen Jay Gould and have moded me.
 
kindasorta said:
You sent the abstract to a goofy study that said absolutely nothing of substance. It was likely the first hit on some dumb google search with the keywords "scalpel, surgery, shoes" (ie: the modern med student's version of thought) and somehow you now think you're Stephen Jay Gould and have moded me.
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rofl, you can read the article if you want, it is not rocket science (which I am sure you are very versed in with your extensive knowledge of physics). Sharp thing + fall from table + thin, flimsy material = no good, Dr. House.

Sorry you're so offended by being proven wrong. First time that has ever occurred to you? My bad.
 
tiedyeddog said:
rofl, you can read the article if you want, it is not rocket science (which I am sure you are very versed in with your extensive knowledge of physics). Sharp thing + fall from table + thin, flimsy material = no good, Dr. House.

Sorry you're so offended by being proven wrong. First time that has ever occurred to you? My bad.
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Canvas is hardly a thin flimsy material. Half of your stupid abstract was arguing to wear foot protection, as if prior to this revolutionary insight surgeons were wearing banana leaves around their feet. The last sentence of the abstract was even stupider and made some wild general claim with no specifics whatsoever.

I have an idea, why don't you operate on your knees? Then drops will be a non-issue. I'll sit patiently while you dig up some Croatian journal article from 1953 about scalpels ricocheting from walls and slicing 35% of the rubber soles of kneeling surgeons.
 
Ok ok guys. I've been doing some serious testing in the past few days, and have come to the following conclusion. Orthotic insoles are the best. I personally chose these,

http://www.superfeet.com/activity/office/Men_s_3_4.aspx

I liked the 3/4ths because it leaves plenty of room for my toes (unlike the other insoles). Plenty of arch support for my feet, and I can wear them in whatever shoe I choose. I even ran and squatted heavy weights in them to see how they would feel. I'm never going back to wearing shoes without insoles.

Foam works well, but for standing, you can't beat hard plastic.

I have medium to flat arches. The Dansko arch support was TOO much for me, to the point it hurt my feet to walk and stand in them.

So next time you think you have to drop $160 on ugly ass clogs that you will only wear in the hospital, give these $20 insoles a shot. You might save $140, and will be able to rock your favorite beater shoes in style.

EDIT: btw, for sugery, i've decided to wear these insoles with old basket-ball shoes. No mesh on top.
 
The heavier side will land first is what kindasorta is getting at. Not the needle side unless its spinning.
 
HatWobble said:
Oh, because heavier things fall faster than lighter things, right?
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Physics 101. Lol.

ImageUploadedBySDN Mobile1361061716.600096.jpg
 
kindasorta said:
Canvas is hardly a thin flimsy material. Half of your stupid abstract was arguing to wear foot protection, as if prior to this revolutionary insight surgeons were wearing banana leaves around their feet. The last sentence of the abstract was even stupider and made some wild general claim with no specifics whatsoever.

I have an idea, why don't you operate on your knees? Then drops will be a non-issue. I'll sit patiently while you dig up some Croatian journal article from 1953 about scalpels ricocheting from walls and slicing 35% of the rubber soles of kneeling surgeons.
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haha i enjoy your brand of vitriolic sarcasm
 
Ugliness aside, and those canvas shoes are bound to get made fun of (probably by me, damn hippies), every shoe I had in the OR has a little residual spot of blood or smear of something that stained em. Even slightly. It doesn't have to be a scalpel or needle. In urology cases it's urine, in vascular it's squirts of arterial blood that bounces off your mask, and god forbid, in ob/gyn, I don't even know what those fluids are. Uch.

My point is that i was always shoe cover kinda guy, and all my shoes have fluids on them. The big shoe covers that are actually water proof are usually reserved for ortho and trauma cases, or at least they hog the **** out of them and someone would say something if you we're using them for every routine trach.
 
Randomly came across this thread and couldn't help but laugh!

I worked derm as a surgical tech and actually had another surgical tech who, during a procedure, had a 15 blade drop down to her shoes - sharp end first. She was wearing the crocs with the holes in them and the scalpel actually landed through a hole (again, blade first) and very narrowly missed her toes!

So although it is probably extremely rare, if you are in a specialty (such as derm-Mohs Surgery) where there is lots of quick scalpel/needle passing and use, I ABSOLUTELY think that considerations be made into what your shoes are made of.

That aside, I think having any sort of canvas shoe in the OR/ER is a horrible idea in the first place... even with shoe covers/boots, they are inevitably going to get soaked (just wait for your first arthoscopic procedure) and then when be a breeding ground for bacteria and odor
 
I have twice witnessed individuals stab themselves in the foot with a scalpel in the OR. Both through Crocs. Both times, it was their own fault. Incredibly unlikely to happen as a bystander in the OR, however.

I'd worry less about stab injuries than about the splatter of body fluids onto your shoes/socks/feet. The stab injury is highly unlikely, the splatter is a given. Never have understood the folks who don't wear socks in the OR, either...although I know several surgeons who routinely don't wear them.
 
Wear whatever you want in the OR but remember that shoes that are comfortable to walk around in and wear throughout the day are a very different entity than shoes that are comfortable to stand in for extended periods of time!

Survivor DO
 
Curlyfriez12 said:
They are sooooooo uncomfortable. But the problem is with my feet. My arches are a bit flat, and that hill of an arch support was absolutely killing my arches.
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That's the problem right there. Most people think that treating flatfoot should come by adding an arch. This is the wrong approach as stated by the OP it's quite painful.

Putting the rearfoot into varus may significantly reduce pain/discomfort in a flatfooted person when standing all day.

I personally use adhesive felt under my shoe inserts. To achieve rearfoot varus I use 2-3 pieces of 1/4" depth, roughly 1" width, and roughly 2" length placed on the postero-medial side of shoe insert.

I wear Brooks addiction/beast in clinic. I also like Asics GT-2170.

Feel free to PM me.
 
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