Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

A belly of blood: A case report describing surgical intervention in a gastric intramural haematoma precipitated by therapeutic endoscopy in an anticoagulated patient

AbstractGastric intramural hematoma, “intramural dissection” or “false aneurysm”, is a rare and dangerous condition which may be more broadly classified as a spectrum of acute gastric mucosal injury. It is postulated that disruption of the mucosa and blood vessels within the submucosal layer results in dissection of the muscularis propria from the mucosa, with eventual clot formation. While a majority of cases resolve with conservative management, we describe a successfully managed case requiring surgical intervention. Progression of the haematoma was documented both endoscopically and surgically in an elderly anticoagulated patient who suffered a complication of therapeutic endoscopic intervention. A review of the literature is presented