Improvements Can be Made in Surgical Waste and Unused Surgical Supplies in Breast Surgery Done at Ambulatory Surgical Centers and Hospitals

Abstract

Health care is the second largest producer of waste worldwide. This study was performed to demonstrate that institutional changes can be implemented fairly quickly and improvements can be accomplished. The study was performed at three hospitals and one ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in Arizona from January 1, 2025 to November 30, 2025. A total of 275 operations were included in the study: 125 consecutive operations at the ASC and 150 operations at the hospitals. All opened disposable items were documented. All reusable surgical equipment were documented. The weight of the waste and laundry bags were recorded for each case. The study included 275 operations. In the initial 150 operations, the surgeons used 18-20% of the instruments in the tray at three hospitals and 14/50 (28%) at ASC. The average weight of the waste produced was 14.1, 14.3, and 15.7 lbs at the hospitals, and 8.03 lbs at ASC. Following the initial 150 operations, more specific trays were requested at one hospital and ASC. The new trays were created within 2 weeks and included only 17 instruments. At the locations with the downsized trays, the surgeons used 14/17 (82%) of the instruments, while there was no change at the other two hospitals. The waste produced at the hospital with the downsized tray decreased by 21%. Waste was significantly greater in hospitals vs ASC. More specific trays with fewer instruments can be created fairly quickly at both hospitals and ASC and result in significantly less waste of resources.