Surgeons are famous for their attire as well. Surgical scrubs, caps, masks, and gowns are a part of how we imagine surgeons as they perform life-saving procedures and operations.
But many people are curious about their colourful rubber footwear that usually contrasts with their blue or green gowns.
Called clogs, this footwear benefits millions of physicians, surgeons, and nurses. Most of these clogs come from Crocs, a well-known company based in Colorado, USA.
You might be asking the same question—why do surgeons wear clogs and Crocs? This article will answer based on research and the surgeons’ testimonies.
Clogs support surgeons’ posture
Surgeons withstand a hectic and exhausting schedule in the hospital. They stand for several hours during surgical procedures, walk around the hospital to visit the patients and run during emergency response.
Every surgeon’s hospital shift (which typically lasts for twelve hours) is an endurance test. Because of this, their back, feet, and muscles tend to feel stressed and painful.
Human anatomy and pathology emphasize the importance of having a proper posture by wearing the correct footwear.
The position of the feet is vital for a person’s posture. Hence, the soles must have thicker support while the feet should be free from strain.
But as surgeons stand and walk for many hours with an incorrect foot position, the lumbar spine may suffer from disc compression, resulting to back pain and discomfort.
Unfortunately, a good night’s sleep is a luxury for many surgeons, so anything that may lessen surgeons’ strain is a blessing.
Clogs have soft, elevated insoles and interior support that help align the surgeons’ posture and relieve stress from their feet’s joints.
This footwear may even have massage bumps to reduce pain in the surgeons’ feet. Imagine the pain surgeons would go through without clogs!
In turn, clogs provide surgeons with comfort. Since manufacturers are confident of this, many of them guarantee free returns.
Clogs enhance surgeons’ productivity
Surgeons do not wear high-heel shoes and sandals because they do not offer the same comfort and support that clogs have.
At work, surgeons are not after making fashion statements in the hospital: they need footwear that will help them stay comfortable and withstand hours of standing up.
Clogs support surgeons’ ergonomics. As mentioned earlier, this footwear improves the surgeons’ foot and spinal posture while distributing their weight. Clogs also prevent the wearers’ feet from sloping or getting a sprain.
These benefits increase the surgeons’ productivity at the hospital. Clogs can also provide a sense of ease and relief to those who wear them.
Clogs are easy to disinfect and clean
Imagine what surgeons handle while a patient is cut open. As they treat the organs and tissues inside, surgeons expose themselves to bodily fluids and chemicals.
These liquids— blood, waste, and digestive fluids— can spill and splatter on the surgeons.
Because of this, surgeons need footwear that can be cleaned and disinfected quickly. Shoes with cotton and polyester are not up to the job because contaminants can stick on them and become difficult to remove.
Typical outside shoes are also more expensive, so staining them with blood and other liquids is not worth it.
Surgical clogs are usually composed of rubber; they are cleanable with soap and water. Drying them is convenient as well.
This footwear can also go through autoclaving, which sterilizes materials through steam.
Clogs protect the surgeons’ feet
Surgeons perform strict sanitary protocols to ensure that the operating room and all surgical tools will remain sterile. They also strive to protect the patient from any infection.
But there are many cases where the patient carry dangerous yet contagious pathogens, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis, and dengue.
Surgeons expose themselves to the patients’ blood where these viruses reside and spread. Because of this, surgeons and operating room personnel wear protective equipment, including clogs.
Clogs shield the surgeons’ feet from blood and bodily fluids that may drip from the operating table.
(For this reason, surgeons do not wear clogs with multiple ventilation holes and openings on the clogs’ top part.)
Clogs can also protect surgeons beyond pathogens or infections. This footwear’s rubber lessens the impact of forceful impacts and falling objects.
Clogs are durable
Rubber shoes are infamous for getting worn out after months of heavy use. They get deformed, broken and discoloured, quickly losing their appeal and newness.
But clogs are unlike regular shoes. Clogs last longer than regular shoes because of their high-quality rubber composition and rigid built.
This footwear can last long despite the pressure from being stepped on for several hours at once.
Also, the insoles in clogs can withstand pressure while relieving the surgeons’ feet from stress.
Clogs keep surgeons from slipping
Hospitals cater to patients with contagious diseases and microbes, so infections can thrive and spread in such facilities. To avoid this, cleaners and maintenance workers continually clean the surfaces in the hospital.
But this sanitary measure poses another risk.
Surgeons and physicians run a lot inside hospitals, especially when there is an emergency. As they rush during such critical times, they might slip or trip over slippery floors.
Clogs are slip-resistant, providing extra grip that protects surgeons from falling. This feature helps wearers from injuries as well.
Clogs are easy to wear
Each passing second matters for surgeons. They are also mindful of everything they touch to avoid any risk of contamination.
Speed and protection are qualities that make clogs indispensable for surgeons. Within a few seconds, they can quickly insert their feet into clogs without needing to touch them.
Clogs also do not have shoelaces, which can be tedious and dirty to tie and secure. Wearing clogs promotes another layer of safety for the surgeons: untied laces can be dangerous because surgeons run a lot in the hospital.
Microorganisms also reside in shoelaces, so wearing clogs (which have no laces or strings) help lessen the risk of contamination in the operating room.
Clogs are fashionable.
Although clogs are less stylish than regular shoes, surgeons and physicians can still display their fashion sense through this footwear.
Surgeons have different clog brands, colours, and styles to choose from—all with the benefits and advantages it brings.