Abstract
Health care systems contribute a significant amount of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and operating rooms are among the most resource intensive and waste producing locations in hospitals. Surgery's high environmental impact is due to many factors including: widespread use of anesthetic and medical gases; pharmaceutical production and waste; substantial non-recycled waste from disposable single-use devices; and energy consumption for equipment use and reprocessing, in addition to the significant energy needed for heating, cooling and ventilation of ORs. As the urgency of addressing global climate change increases, health care providers must do all they can to minimize the environmental impacts of health care in a sustainable, yet safe manner. Thoughtful management techniques by anesthesiologists, surgeons, and operating room staff before, during, and after procedures can minimize the environmental impact of surgery while maintaining cost-efficient, excellent patient care.
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