“Operating Rooms: The Surprising Frontline in the Fight Against Climate Change in Healthcare”

In a groundbreaking move to address the impact of climate change on health, doctors around the world are taking action within their own operating rooms to reduce emissions and improve sustainability. The healthcare system, often overlooked as a significant source of emissions, contributes an estimated 8.5% to the United States’ carbon footprint, with operating rooms being a major hotspot generating up to six times more carbon than the rest of the health system.

Dr. Mehul Raval, a professor of surgery, highlights that anesthetic gases used in operating rooms contribute significantly to emissions, with desflurane being a major offender. Desflurane, commonly used in anesthesia, has a global warming potential 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide and persists in the atmosphere for 14 years. Dr. Kenneth Barker, a Scottish anaesthesiologist, led efforts to eliminate desflurane from all hospitals in Scotland, citing its harmful environmental impact compared to alternatives like sevoflurane.

Inspired by Scotland’s success, hospitals globally are committing to phasing out desflurane. England aims to eliminate the gas by 2024, and the European Union has proposed a ban by 2026. In the U.S., hospitals from Michigan to Pennsylvania are making similar commitments, with positive results for both the environment and their financial bottom line.

Dr. Seema Gandhi, medical director of sustainability at UCSF Medical Center, successfully removed desflurane from operating rooms, saving the hospital $300,000 in a year and reducing emissions equivalent to taking 159 cars off the road. She now focuses on eliminating nitrous oxide, another potent greenhouse gas used in anesthesia delivery systems.

Efforts to reduce emissions from healthcare systems are gaining momentum, with organizations like the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the American Society of Anesthesiologists providing guidance on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The push to eliminate desflurane and other harmful gases is seen as a quick fix with significant benefits for the environment, economics, and society as a whole.

As awareness grows and more healthcare systems take action, the hope is to create a widespread shift towards sustainable practices in operating rooms, ultimately contributing to a healthier planet for future generations.