For all the years that pollution has been in the news, surgeries have rarely been associated with it. However as it turns out, not just refrigerators, even surgeries can be a source of greenhouse gases.
The first analysis of the carbon footprint of surgical suites at three hospitals in the UK, Canada and the USA highlights that the choice of anaesthetic gases used in surgery can be a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions from operating theatres. The study was published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
The study measured the carbon footprint of three surgical suites in Canada (Vancouver General Hospital), the USA (University of Minnesota Medical Centre) and the UK (John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford). The annual carbon footprint of surgical suites ranged from approximately 3218 tonnes of CO2 equivalents to 5187 tonnes of CO2e. While there were differences in the size and case load among all three surgical suites, there was also wide differences in the major contributors to greenhouse emissions. For instance, at Vancouver and Minnesota, anaesthetic gases were responsible for 63% and 51% of the total surgical emissions, compared to only 4% at Oxford.
The authors say this is largely the result of a higher usage of desflurane in the two North American hospitals. Desflurane has a high global warming potential (GWP), approximately 5 to 18 times higher than other anaesthetic gases, such as isoflurane and sevoflurane.
Dr Andrea MacNeill, Vancouver General Hospital, BC, Canada, and lead author of the study says: “Not only is desflurane a primary contributor to global anaesthetic gas emissions, it is also one of the most expensive anaesthetic gases. One of the greatest barriers to widespread implementation of low-carbon practices is the lack of awareness regarding the environmental impacts of anaesthetic choices. The climate impacts of surgery are generally accepted as necessary for the provision of quality care, but our study shows that it’s possible to reduce the carbon footprint of surgery, which also reduce costs, without compromising patient care.”
The health sector is one of the largest service industries, with a considerable carbon footprint. In the USA, the health care system generates 8-10% of all greenhouse gas emissions. In the UK, the National Health Service is responsible for 25% of public sector emissions.
