Operating room supply waste in elective hand surgery

Abstract

Abstract Background : Operating room waste has been identified as a key component in healthcare expenditures that can be modified by surgical teams. The purpose of our study was to quantify the wasted disposable sterile supplies generated in three separate operating room settings in elective hand surgery. Methods : We recorded the unused disposable sterile supplies wasted during 40 elective hand surgery cases over a four-month period. Four attending hand surgeons were observed for 10 cases per surgeon, each operated in only one of the following venues: a university hospital main OR, a private hospital main OR or a private practice ambulatory surgery center. Type and quantity of wasted supplies were totaled, and the costs were calculated. OR personnel were also interviewed regarding the fate of unused supplies. Results : Waste of disposable supplies was encountered in all settings. Supplies waste was least in the ambulatory surgery center. The amount of waste generated at the university was similar to that of the private hospital. The most frequently wasted supplies were low-cost items including blue towels, sponges and drapes. Supplies were most often discarded in the trash, but some were secondarily used in or out of the OR setting. Case length did not correlate with the cost of supply waste. Conclusions : We observed consistent disposable surgical supply waste for hand surgery procedures in the ORs we investigated. This can adversely impact health care cost. Ambulatory surgery centers offer immediate advantages in decreasing supply waste and may be preferred over main hospital ORs for simple elective hand surgery cases. However, not all hand surgeons may operate in an ambulatory center. In the training or university setting, better communication with the OR staff prior to individual cases and coordination with OR administrators to update supply needs can decrease waste. Hand surgeons must be proactive in preventing OR supply waste to reduce costs and improve efficiency.