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Opportunities for Environmental and Public Health Stewardship in the Operating Room
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A case study of a single septorhinoplasty estimated production of 97,637–530,638 microplastics from torn plastics and disposable supplies, which also dominated the procedure's 192.3 kg CO2e carbon footprint. The findings demonstrate that surgical disposables are a significant and underappreciated source of both greenhouse gas emissions and microplastic contamination in healthcare settings.
Understanding the environmental effects of surgery can help develop environmentally sound practices.Examine the environmental impact of performing septorhinoplasty.Case study.A primary septorhinoplasty was selected. Materials, medications, devices, and energy used were identified, and medical waste and torn plastics were characterized and measured. Global warming potential (GWP) and microplastics generated were calculated using published conversion rates.GWP of this septorhinoplasty was 192.3 kg CO2 equivalent (CO2e). The greatest contributor to GWP was the use of disposable supplies (160.95 kg CO2e), with smaller contributions from the sterilization of surgical equipment, anesthetic gases, environmental HVAC energy, surgical instrument manufacturing, and incineration of regulated medical waste. Microplastic production ranged between 97,637 and 530,638 microplastics.The environmental cost of septorhinoplasty was dominated by disposable items, contributing to GWP and microplastic production. Through awareness of the environmental impact of their choices, surgeons can develop mitigation strategies to minimize their effect.
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Green surgery: to reduce carbon footprint
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This paper examines the environmental footprint of surgical procedures and proposes strategies for green surgery, including reduction of single-use plastic instruments and packaging that contribute to operating theater waste streams. The authors call for systemic changes in hospital procurement to reduce carbon emissions from healthcare.
Rethinking The Surgical Field: The Impact Of OR Draping Practices On Waste And Carbon Emissions
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Surgeons found that using fewer disposable gowns and drapes for minor skin surgeries cut medical waste by over 3 kg per procedure, cut costs by thousands of dollars, and didn't increase infection risk. This matters because those disposable materials are made from non-biodegradable plastic that's carbon-intensive to produce, so simple changes to surgical routines could meaningfully shrink hospitals' environmental footprint without compromising patient safety.
Rethinking The Surgical Field: The Impact Of OR Draping Practices On Waste And Carbon Emissions
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For minor skin surgeries on kids, doctors found that using less disposable gowning and draping (instead of the usual full setup) cut surgical waste by over 3 kg per case, saved money, and didn't increase infection risk at all. This matters because those plastic drapes are made from non-biodegradable materials that take a heavy environmental toll to produce, so simple changes in the operating room could meaningfully cut hospital pollution and costs without compromising patient safety.
Microplastics in the surgical environment
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Researchers quantified and characterized airborne microplastics in a hospital operating theatre and adjoining anaesthetic room over a one-week period. They found an average of 1,924 microplastic particles per cubic meter per day in the theatre during working hours, dominated by polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene fragments. The study provides novel data on microplastic exposure in surgical environments where single-use plastics are widely used, and no microplastics were detected during non-working hours.
Environmental stewardship in healthcare: Use of bio-plastics in surgery
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This review examines the growing environmental burden of healthcare waste, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and evaluates the potential of bioplastics as sustainable substitutes for conventional single-use plastic surgical materials. The review advocates for bio-plastic adoption in surgery as part of broader environmental stewardship efforts in healthcare to reduce landfill waste, incineration emissions, and toxic chemical release.
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