Sustainability Publication Digest: Evidence-Based Integration of Environmental Sustainability into Clinical Guidelines for Operating Rooms: A Systematic Review

MTRC shares the most relevant and impactful publications in the field of market access and HEOR for medical technologies in Europe through its Sustainability Publications Digest. 

In a recent publication, van Nieuwenhuizen et al. systematically reviewed the environmental impact of operating rooms, focusing on surgical techniques, device use, cover materials, anesthesia, and ventilation. Analysis of 42 studies revealed that most studies (28) applied life cycle assessment (LCA) methods, highlighting key drivers of environmental burden such as disposables, anesthetic gases, and high energy consumption. Although the evidence quality was rated ‘very low’ to ‘low’ using the GRADE framework, the direction of findings was consistent, identifying clear environmental hotspots. The authors concluded that integrating LCA-based insights into clinical guidelines can help panels develop evidence-based recommendations that promote sustainable surgical practices.

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