María F. Torres-Ruiz, Comité de Eco-Cirugía de la Asociación Mexicana de Cirugía General, Ciudad de México; Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Ciudad de México; México
María E. Baridó-Murguía, Comité de Eco-Cirugía de la Asociación Mexicana de Cirugía General, Ciudad de México; Cirugía General, Hospital Médica Sur, Ciudad de México; México
Itzé Aguirre-Olmedo, Comité de Eco-Cirugía de la Asociación Mexicana de Cirugía General, Ciudad de México; Cirugía General, Hospital Real San José Valle Real, Guadalajara, Jalisco; México
Abilene Escamilla-Ortiz, Comité de Eco-Cirugía de la Asociación Mexicana de Cirugía General, Ciudad de México; Secretaría Académica, Facultad Mexicana de Medicina de la Universidad La Salle, Ciudad de México; México
María A. Reyes-García, Comité de Eco-Cirugía de la Asociación Mexicana de Cirugía General, Ciudad de México; Departamento de Cirugía General, Hospital General Acapulco, Acapulco, Guerrero; México
Gerardo Lamothe-Ale, Departamento de Cirugía General, Hospital Central Militar, Ciudad de México, México
Marco A. Loera-Torres, Cirugía General, Hospital Ángeles Santa Mónica, Ciudad de México, México
Objective: To make an initial assessment of the attitudes and knowledge of Mexican general surgeons regarding sustainable operating rooms and net zero policies. Operating rooms are the primary producers of greenhouse gas emissions in the healthcare system. The implementation of measures to achieve sustainable operating rooms must be preceded by an understanding of current practices, the surgical staff’s interest in the topic, and potential areas of opportunity. Methods: Observational, prospective, cross-sectional study based on an anonymous virtual survey distributed by email to all members of the Mexican Association of General Surgery between October 2023 and March 2024. The questions focused on five topics: general data, use of textiles, anesthesia techniques, waste generation and use of disposable materials and consumption of water and energy. Results: A total of 726 responses were obtained. 12% were familiar with the term net zero and incorporated related measures into their daily practice. 8.4% reported that their hospital has an action plan in this regard. Conclusions: The survey reveals a low level of knowledge about sustainable operating rooms and net-zero practices among the surveyed surgeons, as well as a scarcity of action plans to achieve green operating rooms in Mexico; however, it highlights the respondents´ interest in learning more about the topic.
Keywords: Sustainable surgery. Carbon footprint. Operating room. Greenhouse gas. Environmental impact.