The impact of waste reduction in general surgery operating rooms.

Introduction: Operating rooms are responsible for a significant burden of waste and negative environmental impact. This study aimed to reduce OR waste and improve both environmental impact and hospital cost savings.

Methods: The unused items in two standard single-use surgical packs were tracked for general surgery cases. A new pack was created excluding the most frequently unused items. The feasibility of the new pack was then tested, and a projected cost savings analysis was performed.

Results: A total of 35 general surgery operations were tracked using two standard packs ($89.51 or $93.68 per case, each 23.2 lbs). The new pack ($46.88 per case, 20.8 lbs) was then successfully used in nine cases. The projected cost-savings of substituting the new pack was $45,719 annually with a 2437 pounds annual waste reduction.

Conclusions: Simple and feasible adjustments to standard single-use surgical packs can have a significant impact on waste reduction and cost-savings.