AI Insight
This systematic review (2023–2025) analyzed 26 studies on the carbon footprint of surgical operations, following PRISMA guidelines and drawing from PubMed, Scopus, and Healthcare LCA databases. Reported emissions ranged widely, from under 5 kgCO₂e for minor procedures to over 400 kgCO₂e for complex single-stage surgeries and approximately 1,000 kgCO₂e for complete multistage patient pathways. The primary emission hotspots identified across studies were consumable materials and energy consumption, while significant methodological heterogeneity was noted in how surgical carbon footprints are calculated.
Why it matters
Operating rooms consume three to six times more energy than other hospital departments, making surgical care a meaningful contributor to healthcare-related greenhouse gas emissions. Standardizing life-cycle assessment frameworks for surgical settings would enable reliable benchmarking and inform targeted mitigation strategies at both hospital and health system levels.
Understand the Science
by Anna Savio, Beatrice Marchi, Andrea Roletto, Pierangelo Guizzi, Giuseppe Milano, Lucio Enrico Zavanella, Simone Zanoni
Surgical care significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, with operating rooms consuming three to six times more energy than other departments relying heavily on single-use materials and anaesthetic gases. We conducted a systematic review of literature from 2023 to 2025 following PRISMA guidelines. The PubMed, Scopus and Healthcare LCA databases were searched, and eligibility criteria were applied. A total of 26 studies met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted on each study’s scope and system boundaries, reported emission values, identified carbon hotspots, and any mitigation strategies evaluated. A structured quality assessment was conducted to evaluate the reliability of the included studies and to identify potential sources of bias. The included studies demonstrated wide variability in reported carbon footprints of surgery, ranging from under 5 kgCO₂e for minor procedures to over over 400 kgCO₂e for complex single-stage operations and approximately 1,000 kgCO₂e for whole multistage patient pathways. This systematic review underscores that surgical operations could have a significant carbon footprint, with emissions hotspots concentrated in consumable materials and energy consumption. It also reveals substantial variability and methodological heterogeneity in how surgical carbon footprints are calculated, pointing to the urgent need for standardized life-cycle based frameworks in surgical settings. Establishing common standards will enable more reliable benchmarking of surgical emissions and better comparisons across studies.
Source: The carbon footprint of surgical operations: 2023–2025 systematic review update