Tag: surgical waste

Sustainable surgery can cut costs, reduce emissions, improve care, review finds

Editor's Note Surgical teams can dramatically reduce healthcare’s carbon footprint through waste reduction, energy efficiency, and smarter procurement, Cureus October 7 reports. The review’s authors describe surgery as both a major environmental challenge and a key opportunity for hospitals to align climate responsibility with clinical and financial goals. Healthcare contributes…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
October 14, 2025
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Tray-based setups cut OR waste, setup time while boosting workflow satisfaction

Editor's Note Introducing preassembled surgical trays sharply reduces OR waste and setup time while improving staff workflow satisfaction, Surgeries October 8 reports. The prospective study, conducted in a high-volume German urology center, compared tray-based setups with the “standard approach” for preparation across 64 procedures and found measurable ecological and operational…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
October 9, 2025
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Study: OR waste training boosts recycling, but impact fades with time

Editor's Note A single training session on waste segregation significantly increased recycling rates among OR staff, but gains began to erode within two months, according to a study published May 26 in Nature: Scientific Reports. Conducted at Ankara University Cebeci Hospital, the quasi-experimental study assessed the impact of a single-session,…

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By: Matt Danford
June 4, 2025
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Rethinking OR routines reduces waste, costs while protecting environment

Editor's Note For some surgeons, treating patients goes hand-in-hand with healing the environment. Consider an April 23 report in Medical Xpress. Detailing sustainability efforts at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center by pediatric surgeon Ami Shah, MD, and her colleague Brian Gulack, MD, the article showcases how rethinking everyday surgical routines…

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By: Matt Danford
April 23, 2025
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Smart segregation, storage reduce biohazardous waste risks

From sharps and blood-soaked surgical instruments to discarded anesthetic agents, biohazardous waste from ORs can threaten human health and the environment. In addition, failure to adhere to regulatory requirements can result in significant fines. However, the volume and diversity of biohazardous waste can create challenges with managing this material. Mitigating…

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By: Arman Zeytounyan
March 5, 2025
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Students innovate to reduce OR plastic waste

Editor's Note A hospital in Canada could see OR PVC waste reduced by as much as half this year thanks to a perioperative waste reduction project innovated by three fourth-year BSN students from the College of the Rockies. East Kootenay News Online Weekly reported the news January 9. According to…

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By: Matt Danford
January 17, 2025
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JAMA video highlights OR sustainability

JAMA (healthcare publication) Network logo

Editor's Note If global healthcare were a country, it would rank as the fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. So says Dr. Sofya Asfaw, a trauma and critical care surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, in a JAMA Network video on “greening” the OR. Published July 17, the short film features experts like…

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By: Matt Danford
October 8, 2024
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Carbon-conscious health systems phase out desflurane anesthesia gas to reduce emissions

Editor's Note Citing environmental concerns, multiple health systems have stopped using desflurane anesthesia gas, Becker’s Hospital Review reported on May 7. Citing the Philadelphia Inquirer, the outlet notes that Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Marlton, N.J.-based Virtua Health are among those that have eliminated the gas so far, with the…

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By: Matt Danford
May 15, 2024
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Penn Medicine anesthesia, waste initiatives boost OR sustainability

Editor's Note Penn Medicine has made significant strides in reducing the environmental footprint of the OR through department- and team-level initiatives, according to a March 29 report in Penn Medicine news. Driven by CIRCE: Medicine, a faculty group consisting of providers from Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, examples…

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By: Matt Danford
April 22, 2024
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Pilot OR achieves faster, safer hip replacements

Editor's Note A hospital system in Canada is pioneering a safer, more efficient approach to anterior hip replacements that could become a model for improving flow and addressing surgical backlogs, Hospital News reported on December 28. Developed by Humber River Health in Toronto, the Hyper-Throughput Operating Room leverages lean processing…

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By: Brita Belli
January 3, 2024
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