Reducing Waste In The Ophthalmic Operating Room
Published 2023 - 41st Congress of the ESCRS
Reference: FP01.01 | Type: Free paper | DOI: 10.82333/mezd-sa14
Authors: Victoria Liu* 1 , Rem Aziz 2 , Shakeel Qazi 3 , Kashif Baig 4 , Saama Sabeti 5
1Ophthalmology,University of Ottawa Eye Institute,Ottawa,Canada, 2Ophthalmology,Precision Cornea Centre,Ottawa,Canada, 3Family Medicine,University of Alberta,Edmonton,Canada, 4Ophthalmology,Precision Cornea Centre,Ottawa,Canada;Herzig Eye Institute,Ottawa,Canada;Ophthalmology,University of Ottawa Eye Institute,Ottawa,Canada, 5Ophthalmology,Precision Cornea Centre,Ottawa,Canada;Ophthalmology,Herzig Eye Institute,Ottawa,Canada;Ophthalmology,University of Ottawa Eye Institute,Ottawa,Canada
Purpose
To decrease environmental and financial waste in ophthalmic operating rooms in a Canadian institution through identifying and removing unused surgical equipment from cataract trays.
Setting
Ottawa, Canada
Methods
This is a quality improvement initiative aimed to identify unused surgical tools in cataract and cornea transplant trays at two high-volume Canadian based surgical centres. Data collected included number of surgical tools on trays, frequency of use, costs of processing and washing, number of surgeries, and costs saved. The key outcomes assessed were calculated costs and environmental savings associated with modifying cataract surgical trays to reduce financial and environmental waste.
Results
Over 8500 uncombined cataract cases are performed at one of two major centres in Ottawa per year. A formal audit process in the OR observed 85 cataract surgeries across a variety of surgeons. It was found that a median of 46% of tools on the tray were used per surgery (range 32-59%), although 7 of 22 tools were used less than 2% of the time. Removing these infrequently used tools from trays would decrease environmental and financial waste through decreased processing and damage of tools. The projected cost savings of solely removing these tools from approximately 50 trays, would result in a projected cost savings of over $120 000. Results from cornea tray audit are to be determined.
Conclusions
Identifying and removing unused surgical tools from high volume surgical trays is projected to have great financial cost savings through diminishing processing and sterilizing costs, and costs associated with damage and replacement of microsurgical tools. Awareness and interventions to decrease unused surgical tools is important to reduce environmental costs in the OR, especially in the context of climate emergency and sustainability to contribute to reducing environmental costs.