Revising a laparoscopic appendicectomy set to reduce reliance on disposable surgical instruments: supporting the transition to sustainable surgical practice.

Introduction: After excluding anaesthetic gases, around one-third of carbon emissions from surgical procedures are from consumables. This sustainable quality improvement project revised the laparoscopic appendicectomy surgical set at a large teaching hospital, with the aim of reducing unnecessary usage of disposable laparoscopic ports and surgical instruments.

Methods: A prospective audit of 25 consecutive laparoscopic appendicectomies (5% of annual appendicectomies performed at the Trust) was conducted to assess use of disposable instruments.