Lefty needle holders in hospitals

[ThirdMolarz]

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Hi all,

I'm left-handed and going into a non-cat year in OMFS. Wondering if hospital OR's and emergency rooms generally have lefty needle holders. I have two of my own that I've found helpful to use in dental school. I could also start practicing sutures with my right hand. Any advice or input would be much appreciated

 

[ShortShortsDad]

You may be gently mocked for you left handedness by your assistants who have to set up the room different for you. Start talking about special equipment and you’ll be eviscerated

 

[nade0016]

Hi all,

I'm left-handed and going into a non-cat year in OMFS. Wondering if hospital OR's and emergency rooms generally have lefty needle holders. I have two of my own that I've found helpful to use in dental school. I could also start practicing sutures with my right hand. Any advice or input would be much appreciated

Learn the right handed way, this is from a Lefty OMS.

 

[OMSDoc]

You can work from either side of the table, with a righty needle driver. It is just muscle memory.

In general surgery, they don't even put their thumbs/fingers in the holes...kind of a stud thing.

Don't ever ask for specialized instruments until you are an owner and can buy what you want. This is actually the main reason I opened my own practice.

 

[George Lincoln]

Hi all,

I'm left-handed and going into a non-cat year in OMFS. Wondering if hospital OR's and emergency rooms generally have lefty needle holders. I have two of my own that I've found helpful to use in dental school. I could also start practicing sutures with my right hand. Any advice or input would be much appreciated

How long have you been living in a righthanded world? Use it to your advantage, not your detriment. As a left handed OMS I learned to hold instruments in both hands. Your going to look like an idiot asking for a left handed scissor, they make them but no OR or ER has them so learn to use a needle holder in your left hand and cut with your right. In addition if you use those instruments correctly on your ring finger you can swivel them into your palm an hold a second instrument in each hand with your middle finger. When people see someone with this type of dexterity do you think its a practice builder? They don't care which hand you eat with or throw a ball with. You decide if the glass half full or half empty. Then reconsider that assessment when you meet a patient with only one or no hands. You should try some cheese with your wine.

 

[Sublimazing]

You can work from either side of the table, with a righty needle driver. It is just muscle memory.

In general surgery, they don't even put their thumbs/fingers in the holes...kind of a stud thing.

Don't ever ask for specialized instruments until you are an owner and can buy what you want. This is actually the main reason I opened my own practice.

The left handed instruments are designed differently.

• The left shank of the scissors overlaps the right, easing view and handling.
  
  
• For needle holders and hemostatic forceps, the ratchet mechanism is on the right shank.

But those are fairly easy to get used to...what sucks is having to tighten screws as a lefty. Clockwise tightening means pronation for lefties, which is a weaker movement than supinating.

One day society will stop castigating Left Handed Surgeons! There are DOZENS OF US!!

 

[yappy]

How long have you been living in a righthanded world? Use it to your advantage, not your detriment. As a left handed OMS I learned to hold instruments in both hands. Your going to look like an idiot asking for a left handed scissor, they make them but no OR or ER has them so learn to use a needle holder in your left hand and cut with your right. In addition if you use those instruments correctly on your ring finger you can swivel them into your palm an hold a second instrument in each hand with your middle finger. When people see someone with this type of dexterity do you think its a practice builder? They don't care which hand you eat with or throw a ball with. You decide if the glass half full or half empty. Then reconsider that assessment when you meet a patient with only one or no hands. You should try some cheese with your wine.

It's silly that an employer chooses not to equip their workforce with instruments that are designed for their dominant hand. I understand there is this "right handed surgeon culture" or humor "har har har" BS, but I don't think that is a good reason to improperly equip your workforce.

 

[OMSDoc]

I feel fortunate to have been raised not to look at things not going my way as an exception. It’s the norm.

Life isn’t fair. But as my mom used to say, who said it had to be fair?

When I tighten an arch bar or IMF wire, I hold the wire-twister in my left, nondominant hand, tightening clockwise (by convention) and it goes much, much faster than if I try tightening it with the right hand. My right hand is holding a Molt curette that stabilizes the arch bar, orthodontic wire, splint, or what-have-you.

It’s just muscle memory.

 

[maruprime]

I'm left handed. You have to learn how to use your left and your right hands for instruments. When I went to OR, my attendings were used to standing on the left side of the head so I would have to stand on the right. I'd never ask my attendings to switch sides; that's guaranteed extra call days the next month. Now I'm just as good with drilling with any hand, and sometimes I even go on the right side when I extract #32 for better visibility.