Surgeons are retiring early due to back problems brought on by modern surgical techniques, experts warn

Surgeons are retiring early because of back problems caused by modern surgical techniques, experts have warned. 

Keyhole surgery, where an operation is carried out through a small hole in the patient’s body, has become increasingly common because it helps patients recover more quickly and has less pain, complications and scarring than conventional operations.But in order to carry out the procedures through a tiny opening, surgeons often have to contort themselves into awkward positions for hours at a time.

Now a new report says one in five surgeons say they will have to retire early because they have developed back injuries from carrying out modern surgical techniques. This could mean patients face even longer waits for operations, thanks to the loss of 4,500 senior doctors, the research suggests. 

Read full story

Source: The Telegraph, 15 September 2019