Bajwa Barinder, Zhang Zach, Tuen Young Ji, Courtemanche Rebecca, S Arneja Jugpal
Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Plast Surg (Oakv). 2025 Jan 3:22925503241305635. doi: 10.1177/22925503241305635.
Every industry has greenhouse gas emissions, with healthcare a significant contributor. In Canada, the healthcare sector is directly and indirectly responsible for 4.6% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. Operating rooms (ORs) are major contributors to hospital waste, making the OR low hanging fruit for analyzing environmental practices. The OR can adopt a green mindset to reduce its carbon footprint, yet barriers to going green exist. Herein we study non-hospital surgical centres in British Columbia to assess current green practices, attitudes towards environmental sustainability, and barriers to implementation.
All accredited non-hospital surgical centres in BC were invited to complete a survey on current practices and plans to reduce their environmental impact.
Of 56 non-hospital surgical centres contacted, 18 responded, with 89% willing to adapt their practice to promote environmental sustainability, yet lacked current knowledge (56%) and formal plans (0%). The wide use of anesthetic gases with high global warming potential (64%) and disposable drapes/ gowns (78%/ 67%) were noted. Barriers to adopting green practices included: cost (44%), infrastructure (44%), regulatory guidelines (39%), knowledge (39%), and safety (28%).
Transitioning to more environmentally sustainable practices in ORs can enhance healthcare value by reducing both costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The greatest effect can be achieved through prudent choice of anesthetic gas agent, followed by reusable linens and drapes. Education and regulatory leadership were identified as crucial for overcoming these barriers. This study underscores the need for education, guidelines, and economically viable options to transition from awareness to action.
每个行业都有温室气体排放，医疗保健行业是重要的排放源之一。在加拿大，医疗保健部门直接或间接导致了该国4.6%的温室气体排放。手术室是医院废物的主要产生源，因此是分析环境实践的重点对象。手术室可以采用绿色思维来减少其碳足迹，但实现绿色环保存在障碍。在此，我们研究了不列颠哥伦比亚省的非医院手术中心，以评估当前的绿色实践、对环境可持续性的态度以及实施障碍。
邀请了不列颠哥伦比亚省所有获得认证的非医院手术中心完成一项关于当前实践和减少环境影响计划的调查。
在联系的56家非医院手术中心中，18家做出了回应，其中89%愿意调整其做法以促进环境可持续性，但缺乏相关知识（56%）和正式计划（0%）。我们注意到，具有高全球变暖潜能值的麻醉气体（64%）以及一次性手术单/手术衣（78%/67%）被广泛使用。采用绿色实践的障碍包括：成本（44%）、基础设施（44%）、监管指南（39%）、知识（39%）和安全（28%）。
手术室向更具环境可持续性的实践转变可以通过降低成本和温室气体排放来提高医疗保健价值。通过谨慎选择麻醉气体，其次是使用可重复使用的床单和手术单，可以实现最大效果。教育和监管引领被认为是克服这些障碍的关键。本研究强调了需要开展教育、制定指南以及提供经济可行的方案，以便从意识转变为行动。
