Do illuminated foot pedals improve the speed and accuracy of pedal activation during endoscopic procedures?

Purpose: Endourologic procedures such as percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) employ the use of foot pedals in low-light operating room (OR) settings. These pedals can be especially difficult to locate or distinguish when several pedals are present during a single operation. Improper instrument activation in the OR has led to serious complications ranging from unintentional electrocautery to patient burns and even an intraoperative explosion. This study evaluates the impact of color-coded illumination on speed and efficiency of foot pedal activation. Materials and Methods: During a simulated PCNL procedure, the foot pedals for a C-arm, laser, and ultrasonic lithotripter (USL) were placed in random positions. Ten participants performed pedal activation in a randomized sequence. Objective outcomes included time to instrument activation, number of attempted pedal presses, number of incomplete pedal presses, and number of incorrect pedal presses. Subjective preferences for pedal illumination were also determined. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed-rank, and Chi-square tests with p < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Results: Illuminated foot pedals were associated with decreases in the average activation time for all instruments collectively (3.95 seconds vs 6.49 seconds; p = 0.017) and individually (C-arm: 3.07 seconds vs 4.21 seconds; p = 0.006; laser: 13.04 seconds vs 15.18 seconds; p < 0.001; USL: 3.28 seconds vs 4.91 seconds; p < 0.001) compared with nonilluminated pedals. Illuminated pedals were associated with fewer attempted pedal presses (33.5 vs 39.5; p = 0.007) and incomplete pedal presses (1.5 vs 8.5; p = 0.002). The number of incorrect pedal presses decreased with illumination, but this did not reach statistical significance (0 vs 0.5; p = 0.08). Participants reported that illumination simplified pedal activation and recommended its use (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Color-coded illumination improved the speed and efficiency of foot pedal activation during simulated PCNL. Participants subjectively preferred using illuminated foot pedals for endourologic procedures and felt that they improved safety and efficiency.