Sustainability in Surgery and Other Pearls of Wisdom with Mark Baratz

Chuck and Chris welcome Mark Baratz as our guest to talk about a number of topics, including sustainability and surgery, book club, culture, and so much more. Join us for pearls of wisdom from Mark Baratz and learn alongside of us.

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The Upper Hand Podcast is sponsored by Checkpoint Surgical, a provider of innovative solutions for peripheral serve surgery. To learn more, visit https://checkpointsurgical.com/.

As always, thanks to @iampetermartin for the amazing introduction and concluding music.

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Transcript

Summary

Green Surgery Implementation Planning

The meeting focused on discussing green surgery and environmental responsibility in surgical practices. Charles and Christopher welcomed Mark Baratz from the University of Pittsburgh to discuss this topic, and they also talked about Mark's fellowship program's book club initiative, which includes non-medical books like "The Confidence Code" and "The Wave." The conversation then shifted to planning for a new procedure room at their department's new site, where they sought Mark's advice on implementing green surgery practices. Mark was invited to share his expertise on the upsides and potential challenges of setting up such a room, though the specific advice was not captured in the transcript.

Healthcare Procedure Rooms Sustainability Challenges

Mark explained the challenges of establishing procedure rooms in healthcare settings, noting that institutions are often cost-sensitive rather than revenue-sensitive, which creates disincentives for using procedure rooms. He emphasized that sustainability initiatives are more likely to succeed when framed in terms of cost savings rather than environmental benefits. Mark discussed his approach to teaching fellows about quality improvement and sustainability, requiring them to complete QI projects and using lifecycle assessment as a tool for making sustainable decisions in healthcare settings.

OR Sustainability Practices Discussion

Charles raised concerns about being grouped in the same generation as Mark and Chris, noting that Chris considers himself part of a different generation. Mark explained sustainable practices in the operating room, including minimal draping, reduced plastic use, and reclamation processes. Mark also described his approach of involving OR staff in collaborative meetings to address waste reduction, which he noted receives positive reception from the team.

OR Waste Reduction Strategies

Mark discussed his approach to reducing waste in the operating room by engaging staff, using minimal drapes, and recycling materials like Bovie cords for copper. He explained how smaller, more efficient drapes and reusable equipment help save resources and money. The group also discussed the transition to suction Bovie devices required by law in Missouri and the benefits of containing smoke during procedures.

Sustainable Hand Surgery Practices

The group discussed sustainable practices in hand surgery, with Mark sharing his experiences implementing local anesthesia and reducing unnecessary draping and equipment usage. Mark explained how pandemic-related resource shortages highlighted the importance of efficient practices, and he mentioned Steve Kohler's work on challenging AORN guidelines. The conversation concluded with Mark describing how his approach to procedures has evolved, particularly in using local anesthesia to test operations and assess outcomes before full implementation.