Left Handed Surgeons using Right handed Needle Drivers?

[eldr62]

Hi surgeons and future surgeons!

I'm a veterinary student and we are getting ready to start our surgery lab next week, which will involve 5-7 hour labs where we are actually conducting surgeries on cadavers.

In our practical skills lab and in previous work, I had no problem using right-handed needle drivers. I was doing a lot of practice last week for our final exam which involved demonstrating closure skills.

Well, all that practice might have backfired. I haven't gone to a doctor yet, appt. on Monday, but I think I developed de Quervian's tendonitis. I thought it was carpal tunnel at first, but the combination of the acute onset, location of swelling, and motions which result in pain makes me think its tendonitis.

I think I gave it to myself when using the right-handed needle drivers, which you have to apply pressure to the thumb ring using the dorsal aspect of the thumb and extending the thumb dorsally (sorry if the directional terms aren't quite correct, little different with our quadrupeds 🙂 ).

So, left-handed surgeons--how do you use right-handed needle drivers? Is there a more efficient way I can use them to prevent pain? Should I go and buy left-handed needle drivers? Have you had similar pain, how do you manage it?

What would really be great is if someone takes a video of using right handed needle drivers with their left hand--something to tell me how to apply pressure to disengage the ratchet in a "healthier" way.

Thanks in advance!

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[SociableJimmy]

Hi surgeons and future surgeons!

I'm a veterinary student and we are getting ready to start our surgery lab next week, which will involve 5-7 hour labs where we are actually conducting surgeries on cadavers.

In our practical skills lab and in previous work, I had no problem using right-handed needle drivers. I was doing a lot of practice last week for our final exam which involved demonstrating closure skills.

Well, all that practice might have backfired. I haven't gone to a doctor yet, appt. on Monday, but I think I developed de Quervian's tendonitis. I thought it was carpal tunnel at first, but the combination of the acute onset, location of swelling, and motions which result in pain makes me think its tendonitis.

I think I gave it to myself when using the right-handed needle drivers, which you have to apply pressure to the thumb ring using the dorsal aspect of the thumb and extending the thumb dorsally (sorry if the directional terms aren't quite correct, little different with our quadrupeds 🙂 ).

So, left-handed surgeons--how do you use right-handed needle drivers? Is there a more efficient way I can use them to prevent pain? Should I go and buy left-handed needle drivers? Have you had similar pain, how do you manage it?

What would really be great is if someone takes a video of using right handed needle drivers with their left hand--something to tell me how to apply pressure to disengage the ratchet in a "healthier" way.

Thanks in advance!

Hey, I’m left-handed as well and dealt with similar issues during my 3rd and 4th year surgical rotations. How long are you in the cadaver lab and needing to use needle drivers? If it’s just a few weeks I’d suggest learning to palm the driver with your left hand, but that still may be a little more difficult given the direction the driver needs to move to unlock. I ultimately found it easier to just suck it up and learn to use the drivers with my right hand and palm them instead of having my fingers in the holes.

 

[Chillbo Baggins]

Future surgeon here: I just learned to use the needle driver in my right hand. You never have to worry about not having left handed drivers or contorting your hand to make right handed ones work in your left. Techs will always load needles right handed by default. Plus, I would say all the finesse moves are done with your left hand when holding the driver in your right.

 

[TypeADissection]

I am also left-handed and learned to operate with my right. I still tie with my left-hand predominantly though. Mostly through the insistence of my mentor at the time who also was a left-handed surgeon who operated with his right. It is quite doable with practice and patience. Cheers.

 

[swoopyswoop]

I am also left-handed and learned to operate with my right. I still tie with my left-hand predominantly though. Mostly through the insistence of my mentor at the time who also was a left-handed surgeon who operated with his right. It is quite doable with practice and patience. Cheers.

Same here. Due to an attending who told me I had to operate right handed ( as a medical student), I suture right handed (I find the needle drivers too cumbersome to open left handed), tie ambidextrously depending on the situation, cut right handed (again, the scissors just work better that way), but prefer to bovie left handed...

 

[TypeADissection]

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[DarkHorizon]

I’m left handed and use my left hand to operate. They tried to get me to use right hand, but I couldn’t do it well enough. I have pretty much perfected using right handed instruments with my left hand, including the needle driver. In fact, I’m so used to it that if you gave me a left handed needle driver, I struggle with it. I probably should use my right hand more though, because as currently, I even stand on the left side of the table for most cases, regardless of left or right sided approach.

 

[TheFender]

I’m left handed and use my left hand to operate. They tried to get me to use right hand, but I couldn’t do it well enough. I have pretty much perfected using right handed instruments with my left hand, including the needle driver. In fact, I’m so used to it that if you gave me a left handed needle driver, I struggle with it. I probably should use my right hand more though, because as currently, I even stand on the left side of the table for most cases, regardless of left or right sided approach.

Same here. My chairman gave up on me being a right handed surgeon early on