The hidden strain inside operating theatres
We don’t tend to think of surgery as physical labour. But in reality, surgeons and operating theatre nurses suffer injuries at rates comparable to construction workers.
A large systematic review of more than 5,000 surgical staff¹ found,
- 68% report work-related pain
- 50% report back pain
- 48% report neck pain
- 43% report shoulder or arm pain
- 71% report significant fatigue from operating
In some cases, surgical teams report higher rates of neck, shoulder and back pain than apprentice construction workers. Operating room nurses are seeing similar patterns, with more than 60% reporting lower back pain alone.²
That shouldn’t be normal. But in many operating theatres in Australia and New Zealand, it still is, with surgeons and nurses continuing to work and push through their pain.
If surgery demands such physical outputs, ergonomics should never be treated as an optional ‘nice to have’.
The problem is in the setup
Most of the strain we see in operating theatres comes back to the same things: static postures, awkward positioning, and repeated movement over long procedures. Surgeons are often leaning forward to maintain a clear line of sight. The table height is usually set for the lead surgeon, and everyone else must adjust around that.
There are cables everywhere. Nurses are constantly bending, reaching, pulling and working around obstacles to ensure equipment and supplies are on hand when needed.
All of that is influenced by how an operating theatre is designed and how the equipment works.
Cubro Opritech designs and builds modular theatres to maximise efficiency, but we also supply market-leading equipment that delivers huge ergonomic benefits.
Where better design changes everything
One of the biggest differences comes from how we position and interact with equipment.
Take lighting. To improve visibility in many theatres, clinicians have to physically pull the light closer to the patient. That immediately forces you to adjust your posture – leaning, tilting your head, working around the light.
With Skytron Aurora Four surgical lights, you can adjust the beam by simply turning the centre sterile handle. That means the light stays positioned up high while the focal point moves to suit the procedure, and surgeons can maintain a more natural, aligned posture throughout. It’s a small change, but over several hours, it makes a real difference to neck and upper body strain.
The same applies to pendants. When equipment sits on mobile floor units, staff are constantly pushing, pulling and working around cables – adding clutter and unnecessary physical effort. With Cubro’s ceiling-mounted pendants, everything is positioned overhead and moves smoothly around the patient. The workspace is clearer, safer, and far easier to work within, with equipment positioned exactly where it’s needed.
Skytron’s exclusive five-stack design, a first for the industry, supports up to five arms on a single mount, providing full 360° access to equipment, lights, gases and flat-screen digital displays. Movement is effortless thanks to Active Assist, while Brake Assist ensures the pendant stops instantly without requiring any physical force.
Operating tables are another critical piece. If the table can’t adjust properly, clinicians are forced to adapt their posture instead – and over time, that creates real strain. With solutions like the Skytron 3603 UltraSlide surgical table, the table does the work instead. A wide height range, 40° Trendelenburg and reverse Trendelenburg positioning, and 35° lateral tilt allow the patient to be precisely positioned without surgical teams having to lean, twist or overreach. Combined with extended slide and flexible back and leg articulation, this creates better access around the patient and supports a more natural working posture throughout the procedure.
Even smaller elements, like how equipment and accessories are stored, play an important role in theatre ergonomics. When instruments and positioners are piled onto trolleys or stored away from the point of use, nurses are constantly bending, reaching and lifting to access them – often repeatedly throughout a single procedure.
Well-designed universal carts and trolleys help create a more organised, accessible workspace. Positioned close to the operating table, they keep essential equipment within easy reach and reduce unnecessary movement – and repeated strain – throughout the day.
A customer favourite is the Bowen accessory cart. It combines louvre panels, stainless dished trays and rails to keep everything organised and accessible, and glides easily across the floor on 100mm swivel castors, helping take the physical effort out of day-to-day tasks.
Thinking beyond the build
If clinicians are working in discomfort or pain, they’re not operating at their best. Over time, that affects concentration, endurance, and ultimately whether they can continue performing at that level. For hospital leaders, that connects directly to workforce sustainability, retention, and overall performance.
When investing in new theatres or upgrades, cost and compliance matter – but they’re only part of the picture. The real value comes from how that environment functions day today. That means giving staff space to move, selecting equipment that reduces physical strain, and designing layouts around how teams actually work.
Operating theatres will always be complex environments. But they are also workplaces. If we want better outcomes – for patients, for staff, and for healthcare providers – we need to design with that in mind.
At Cubro, we focus on creating operating theatres that don’t just meet clinical requirements, but actively support the people working in them.
If you’re planning a new theatre or reviewing your existing environments, we’d welcome the opportunity to show you what’s possible and how the right design and equipment can make a measurable difference over time.
