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Plastic waste in major orthopaedic surgical procedures: descriptive and sources of improvement

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Abstract

Purpose

The healthcare industry is a significant contributor to single-use plastic waste, particularly in the operating room (OR). This study aims to assess the volume of plastic waste generated during total hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty in the OR and identify areas for improvement.

Method

A prospective transversal study at a tertiary hospital was conducted. All total knee arthroplasty (TKA), total hip arthroplasty (THA), and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) from April to July 2021 were included. The weight of plastic used during patient preparation, anaesthesia, and the surgical procedure was recorded. To calculate the environmental impact, a calculator generated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) was used.

Results

A total of 68 surgeries were included. The mean weight of plastic used in total was 7.3 kg (SD 0.48), with the highest yielding procedure being TKA. It generated a mean of 7.63 kg (SD 0.28), followed by THA at 7.28 kg (SD 0.43), and RSA at 6.87 kg (SD 0.47).

Various scenarios were simulated to evaluate the potential impact of reducing plastic waste. Substituting plastic wrapping with recyclable materials could save 159.6 kg of CO2 emissions per 100 prostheses. Eliminating non-essential equipment and adopting reusable fabric drapes also showed a significant potential.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the need for environmentally sustainable practices in the OR. In this way, the healthcare sector can contribute to a cleaner and greener world without compromising patient safety.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Xavier Duran Jordà, MStat, PhD (Methodology and Biostatistics Support Unit, Institute Hospital del Mar for Medical Research (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain) for his work in data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedics, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital Palma Inca, Palma, Spain

    Ignacio Stacey

  2. Department of Orthopedics, Hospital del Mar, Parc de Salut Mar, Passeig Marítim 25-29, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    Gemma Vilà, Raul Torres-Claramunt, Lluis Puig & Carlos Torrens

Authors
  1. Ignacio Stacey
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  2. Gemma Vilà
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  3. Raul Torres-Claramunt
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  4. Lluis Puig
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  5. Carlos Torrens
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Carlos Torrens, Ignacio Stacey, Lluís Puig-Verdier, Gemma Vilà, and Raul Torres-Claramunt. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Carlos Torrens, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlos Torrens.

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Ethics approval

The study was approved by the ethical committee with no. 2021/9782/I (CEIC-Parc de Salut Mar).

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for publication.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Stacey, I., Vilà, G., Torres-Claramunt, R. et al. Plastic waste in major orthopaedic surgical procedures: descriptive and sources of improvement. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-024-06155-y

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