Newswise —
The carbon footprint of products used in the five most common surgical operations performed in the National Health Service (NHS) in England has been analyzed, revealing that 68% of the carbon contributions are attributed to single-use items, including single-use gowns, patient drapes, and instrument table drapes. The findings, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, emphasize that the production of single-use items and their disposal, along with the processes for decontaminating reusable products, are significant contributors to carbon emissions in surgical operations.
The study was conducted by researchers from Brighton and Sussex Medical School and the University of Warwick, making it the first systematic evaluation of the carbon footprint of products used in common surgical operations. The analysis was conducted through direct observation of operating rooms at three sites of the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.
The researchers utilized the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), which is the standard unit for measuring carbon footprints, to quantify the carbon footprint of each surgical operation. The results revealed that knee replacement surgery had the highest product carbon footprint at 85.5kg CO2e, followed by gall bladder removal at 20.3kg CO2e, carpal tunnel decompression surgery at 12.0kg CO2e, hernia repair at 11.7kg CO2e, and tonsillectomy at 7.5kg CO2e. These findings highlight the varying levels of carbon emissions associated with different surgical procedures.
The analysis of the five surgical operations revealed that a small percentage of products, accounting for only 23% of the total, were responsible for over 80% of the product carbon footprint. This suggests that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to surgical operations should prioritize strategies targeting these specific products, which are typically large single-use items, often made of plastic. This finding underscores the importance of identifying and addressing the major contributors to carbon emissions in order to implement effective environmental sustainability measures in surgical settings.
Dr. Chantelle Rizan, the lead researcher and Clinical Lecturer in Sustainable Healthcare at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, emphasized the significance of mitigating the carbon footprint of products used in surgical operating rooms as part of achieving net zero carbon healthcare. Dr. Rizan emphasized that strategies should focus on eliminating or finding low carbon alternatives for products that have the highest contribution to carbon emissions. This underscores the need for proactive measures to identify and address the environmental impact of surgical products in order to reduce the carbon footprint of healthcare operations.
The researchers propose several strategies to eliminate or reduce the carbon footprint of products used in surgical operations. These include avoiding unnecessary use of non-sterile gloves by promoting hand-washing as an alternative, minimizing the opening of gauze swab packs only when necessary, and working with suppliers to remove rarely used items from single-use pre-prepared packs. Additionally, the researchers suggest that reusable alternatives should be considered for single-use high carbon products, such as gowns, drapes, and instrument table drapes. They note that there is no evidence to suggest that reusable surgical textiles are clinically inferior, and these reusable options can significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with surgical operations. This highlights the potential for adopting sustainable alternatives in healthcare practices without compromising patient care.
Dr. Chantelle Rizan, the lead researcher of the study, suggests that eliminating single-use items or transitioning to reusable alternatives, optimizing decontamination processes, and improving waste segregation and recycling could potentially reduce the carbon footprint of products used in surgical operations by one third. This estimate is based on existing reusable alternatives that are currently available in the market. Dr. Rizan also highlights the potential for further reduction in the carbon footprint if the industry takes up the challenge of sustainable surgical product innovation, indicating that there may be even more effective solutions in the future. This underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to drive innovation towards sustainable practices in healthcare to mitigate the environmental impact of surgical operations.
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