Waste production from phacoemulsification surgery
Hui Gim Khor1, Irene Cho, Kenneth Rohan Chee Keong Lee
1From the Department of Ophthalmology, Miri Hospital, Ministry of Health, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Purpose:
To determine the amount of waste produced from phacoemulsification surgeries and ways to curtail the problem.
Setting:
Miri Hospital, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Design:
Prospective study.
Methods:
Phacoemulsification surgery cases were included in this study; nonphacoemulsification surgeries were excluded. The waste was subdivided into 3 main categories, general waste, clinical waste, and sharps. The waste produced by ophthalmologists and trainees was accounted for separately. The mean weight of waste per case was obtained by dividing the total weight of waste produced with the total number of cases.
Results:
The total waste produced from a total of 203 cases of phacoemulsification surgeries was 167.965 kg, of which, 95.063 kg (56.6%) were clinical waste, 63.197 kg (37.6%) were general waste, and 9.705 kg (5.8%) were sharps; 32.193 kg (50.9%) out of the general waste pool were recyclable waste products. The mean waste production per case of phacoemulsification surgery for an ophthalmologist was 0.814 kg, 1.086 kg per case for a trainee. A case of phacoemulsification surgery would produce 0.282 kg of carbon dioxide equivalents in the setup based on the recyclable general waste.
Conclusions:
The average waste produced per case of phacoemulsification surgery in Miri Hospital was 0.827 kg. After excluding the recyclable material, the average waste produced per case was 0.669 kg. Following the 3 R's principles (reduce, reuse, and recycle) in the handling of waste production might reduce environmental impact.
Insights
Phacoemulsification surgery generates significant clinical and general waste, with recyclable materials comprising over half of the general waste. Implementing the 3 R's (reduce, reuse, recycle) can mitigate the environmental impact of surgical waste.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Environmental Science
- Waste Management
Background:
- Phacoemulsification surgery is a common ophthalmic procedure.
- Surgical waste poses environmental challenges.
- Quantifying waste from ophthalmic surgeries is crucial for sustainability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the total waste generated from phacoemulsification surgeries.
- To categorize surgical waste into clinical, general, and sharps.
- To identify strategies for reducing surgical waste.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study was conducted on phacoemulsification surgery cases.
- Waste was weighed and categorized into general, clinical, and sharps.
- Waste generated by ophthalmologists and trainees was analyzed separately.
Main Results:
- A total of 167.965 kg of waste was produced from 203 cases.
- Clinical waste constituted the largest portion (56.6%), followed by general waste (37.6%).
- Recyclable materials made up 50.9% of the general waste.
Conclusions:
- The average waste per phacoemulsification surgery case was 0.827 kg.
- Excluding recyclables, the average waste was 0.669 kg per case.
- Adhering to reduce, reuse, and recycle principles can lessen environmental impact.
