Abstract
Purpose :
Minimally invasive oculoplastic surgeries generate high volumes of waste and carbon footprints (CF).Single use disposable supplies are frequently used during these procedures resulting in elevated CF associated with their production, consumption and disposal. A waste reduction evaluation specific to eyelid surgery was designed. Comparative surgical waste audits quantifying the reduction in waste , CF, as well as cost were evaluated at a physician office operating room (PO) and an ambulatory surgery center (ASC).
Methods :
A waste audit was performed at two sites: An ambulatory surgery center and an in office physician operating room. An itemized list of all medical supplies used for the same eyelid surgeries was created at each site. Waste audits of 20 similar eyelid surgeries at the ASC and 20 eyelid surgeries at the PO were evaluated. All bagged waste leaving the respective operating rooms were tagged and itemized. Quantity, weight, material, and cost were documented for each site. The Waste Reduction Model (WARM) created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was used to calculate the CF associated with the production, consumption, and disposal of waste per procedure at each site.
Results :
The ASC generated an average of 3.1kg of waste per procedure compared to 2.5kg at the PO. The average total purchasing cost of disposed medical supplies was $35.01 at the ASC and $27.98 at the PO. Disposed medical supplies per case were found to contribute an average of 90.5 carbon dioxide equivalents at the ASC compared to 60.1 carbon dioxide equvalents at the PO.
Conclusions :
This study compared and measured disposed supplies, monetary costs and the carbon footprint of comparable associated outpatient eyelid surgeries at an ASC and a PO. This study documented the reduction in the CF at a PO compared to an ASC. The reduction in the CF at the PO may be more feasibly implemented due to fewer administrative and internal regulatory barriers. Physician offices have the potential to safely and significantly decrease waste generation and reduce costs in oculoplastic surgical procedures compared to ambulatory surgery centers.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.