Environmental Implications of Discretionary Single-Use Devices in Sleeve Gastrectomy: Exploring the Impact of Inter-Surgeon Variability in a Retrospective Pilot Study

Chen Lew, Chunxiao Zhang, Arun Dhir, Dean McKenzie, Laven Padayachee, Hayden Snow, Ben Dunne, Gary Foo, Department of General Surgery, The Department of Health and Human Services, Royal Hobart Hospital, Epworth HealthCare, La Trobe University Bundoora Campus, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Cardiothoracic Department, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Department of Critical Care, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Division of Surgery, Austin Health

Surgical Innovation

Published online on March 23, 2026

Abstract

Surgical Innovation, Ahead of Print.
IntroductionOperating theatres contribute disproportionately to healthcare’s carbon footprint, with single-use devices (SUDs) representing a major source of waste and emissions. While life cycle assessments (LCAs) quantify product-specific impact, they ...