Playing video games makes surgery safer!

A new study finds surgeons make fewer mistakes if they play videogames on the job prior to an operation.

Surgeons who warmed up by playing video games like "Super Monkey Ball" for 20 minutes immediately prior to performing surgical drills were faster and made fewer errors than those who did not, said Dr. James "Butch" Rosser, lead investigator on the study slated for release on Wednesday.

The research involved 303 surgeons participating in a medical training course that included video games and was focused on laparoscopic surgical procedures -- which use a tiny video camera and long, slender instruments inserted through small incisions. The study was conducted by Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City in conjunction with the National Institute on Media and the Family.

I say it's high time we had a policy of regular on-the-job videogame breaks for all professionals. Maybe start with doctors, firemen, pilots, bus drivers, and police officers...