Hearing Evaluation of ARthroplasty Surgeons: results from the HEARS study.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the prevalence of hearing loss among arthroplasty surgeons was comparable to clinicians from other medical specialties and to explore the factors associated with hearing loss.

METHODS

A cross-sectional prevalence study was carried out. Arthroplasty surgeons and non-surgical clinicians were recruited from orthopaedic and medical conferences. All participants were given a paper questionnaire including demographic details, hearing history and the Tinnitus and Hearing Survey. All participants were screened for hearing loss in a quiet room using the HearCheck Screener™ (HCS; Siemens, Munich, Germany). Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with hearing loss. All statistical models were adjusted for age, gender, smoking status and personal noise exposure.

RESULTS

The HEARS (Hearing Evaluation of ARthroplasty Surgeons) study recruited 188 participants (106 arthroplasty surgeons; 82 non-surgical clinicians). Prevalence of hearing loss identified by the HCS was 31% for arthroplasty surgeons vs 11% for non-surgical clinicians. The odds of failing the HCS were 3.7 times higher in arthroplasty surgeons compared to their non-surgical colleagues (p < 0.004). The odds of self-reported hearing using the Tinnitus and Hearing Survey were 2.79 times higher among arthroplasty surgeons (p < 0.003).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of hearing loss among arthroplasty surgeons is significantly higher than in their non-surgical colleagues. Noise generated during arthroplasty surgery should be recognised and managed to create safer working conditions.