Carbon footprints of various subtotal tonsillectomy techniques

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Medical Technology Assessment
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Subtotal tonsillectomy is a common surgical procedure.
• Assessing the environmental impact of medical procedures is gaining importance.
• Different surgical techniques may have varying ecological footprints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the greenhouse gas emissions of prevalent subtotal tonsillectomy techniques.
• To quantify the carbon footprint associated with radiofrequency, coblation, and cold instrument/bipolar forceps dissection.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study was conducted in two French pediatric ENT departments.
• Greenhouse gas emissions (kg eCO2) were calculated for medical devices used in each technique.
• Factors considered included device weight, energy consumption, and manufacturing location.

Main Results:

• Coblation resulted in a significant carbon footprint of 8.6 kg eCO2.
• Radiofrequency and bipolar dissection techniques exhibited much lower footprints, ranging from 0.1 to 0.2 kg eCO2.
• A substantial difference in environmental impact was observed between the techniques.

Conclusions:

• The choice of subtotal tonsillectomy technique greatly influences greenhouse gas emissions.
• Bipolar dissection and radiofrequency present more environmentally sustainable options than coblation.
• Environmental impact data should be considered alongside clinical benefits when selecting surgical hardware.