MTP3.09 Carbon footprint of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy- Single centre tertiary care experience

Abstract Aim To report the carbon footprint (CF) of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) in a tertiary care NHS foundation trust. Methods The carbon footprint data of 17 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomies between 16/11/24 and 20/1/25 was gathered. Data included the carbon footprint of PPEs used, preset equipment and other materials, CO2 used for pneumoperitoneum per case, electrical consumption of laparoscopic stack by using plug in meters, overhead electrical consumption (HVAC) was determined by using information published for 2022/2023 in national Estates Returns Information dataset for University Teaching Hospital for the trust and was averaged per sq meter, per unit time. Results The CF breakdown was as follows: Pre-set equipment and material contributed to 59.84 % (15,700 gCO2), variable equipment and material contributed to 6.96%(1828 gCO2), personal protective equipment (PPE) and scrubs contributed to 12.11%(3178 gCO2), CO2 used for creating pneumoperitoneum contributed to 2.7%(710.49 gCO2), electrical consumption of the stack contributed to 0.85% (225.4 gCO2) whereas the HVAC system contributed to 17.5%(4595 gCO2). The total footprint of a laparoscopic cholecystectomy was 26,234 gCO2 or 26.23kgs which is equivalent to taking a one-way flight from London to Paris for one passenger. Extrapolated to the 60,000 LCs performed per year in the UK, this amounts to 1.5338 million kg of CO2 which is enough to power around 195 UK homes for a year. Conclusion LC has a significant carbon footprint. Using reusable equipment and materials can help reduce its impact on the environment. Impact of anesthesia needs to be further studied.