The three repetitive strain injury syndromes that shorten ophthalmic surgeon careers are cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder and thoracic outlet syndrome. Wikipedia provides a nice overview for the interested reader.
In a year, the typical ophthalmologist examines 5,000 to 6,000 patients at a slit lamp, some more than once during an examination, and sits behind an operating microscope 500 to 600 times for 10 to 60 minutes, depending on surgical case complexity. This is repetitive stress, and repetitive strain injury (RSI) is common in ophthalmologists.
It is critical to know the