A pilot study has demonstrated that sustainable breast cancer surgery is achievable in the operating room without compromising clinical performance. The research focused on 34 women with early-stage breast cancer.
Investigators compared a conventional surgical approach with a green protocol based on the '5R' principles: reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink, and research. The sustainable strategy incorporated indocyanine green for sentinel lymph node biopsy, local anesthesia, waste minimization, reusable materials, and waste segregation. Preliminary results indicate the green protocol was operationally feasible and associated with a lower environmental burden.
Patients undergoing the sustainable pathway also saw reduced perioperative resource use, including avoiding preoperative hospitalization and radiotracer administration. A significant portion were discharged the same day, suggesting a streamlined patient journey.
The study highlights the potential for sustainable practices in surgery to address the substantial carbon footprint of healthcare, offering a practical setting to test new strategies while upholding oncologic care standards. While preliminary, the findings support further investigation into reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste in surgical oncology.