Saving Money and Reducing Waste With a Tailored Hand Surgery Kit

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Surgical Innovation
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Growing emphasis on cost containment and waste reduction in operating rooms.
• Need for optimized surgical supply kits for common procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To redesign the disposable supply kit for carpal tunnel release and trigger finger release.
• To quantify cost savings and waste reduction achieved through kit redesign.

Main Methods:

• Multidisciplinary team (surgeon, student, nurse) reviewed and recommended items for a new kit.
• Implemented a streamlined kit over a 7-month period.
• Calculated cost savings and waste avoidance by comparing new and standard kits.

Main Results:

• Streamlined kit achieved 53% cost savings ($43.40 vs $92.83 per case).
• Reduced pack weight by 41% (2.896 kg vs 4.938 kg), indicating significant waste avoidance.
• Total savings of $2246.78 and 94 kg of waste avoided over 46 cases.

Conclusions:

• Redesign of the local hand pack resulted in substantial cost savings and waste reduction.
• Highlights potential for similar strategies to decrease operating room costs and environmental impact.
• No interruptions in surgical care delivery were observed.