Do you sit during surgery?

[smsc2009]

I am just curious. From what I know most surgeons stand while performing surgery but because of the position of the foot, I would think that most podiatrists prefer to sit while performing an operation. So is it a common practice to sit while performing surgery as a podiatrist?

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[krabmas]

This depends on the surgeon and the operatin to be performed.

If there is a large height distance between the attending and the resident then the taller one may sit.
I have one attending that always sits when we work together. (I am pretty short).

For bunions I think most people stand because you are looking over the foot and it is easier. If you do a medial incision and frog leg the patient then sitting may be preferred.

For Ankles the lateral side is sometimes easier while sitting, as is a brostrum. Same for an Evans. Especially when it comes to closing the lateral side if someone else is doing something on the medial side.

I sometimes do hand surgery and we always sit for this. But when I am using the drill or saw or really almost any power tool I find it easier if I am standing. For me the leverage and the view is better from above.

 

[PADPM]

I rarely if ever sit for a case. On rare instances, if I am concentrating on a very small area on the plantar aspect of the foot, in an attempt to possibly extract a foreign body, etc., I may sit. For some very detailed, small dissections around a nerve, I may sit similar to hand surgeons.

However, unlike a hand which can be positioned flat on the arm-board, the foot is a little more difficult to position. Therefore, most procedures necessitate standing for better leverage and angles and to prevent your face from being too close to the surgical field.