Left-handedness—A handicap for training in surgery? (2010)

Summary

Left-handedness was historically considered a disability and a social stigma, and teachers would make efforts to suppress it in their students. Little data are available on the impact of left-handedness on surgical training and this report aimed to review available data on this subject.

The review revealed 19 studies on the subject of left-handedness and surgical training. Key findings include:

• Left-handedness produced anxiety in residents and their trainers.
• There was a lack of mentoring on laterality.
• Surgical instruments, both conventional and laparoscopic, are not adapted to left-handed use and require ambilaterality training from the resident.
• There is significant pressure to change hand laterality during training.
• Left-handedness might present an advantage in operations involving situs inversus or left lower limb operations.