Healthcare systems contribute significantly to climate change, with perioperative care among the most resource-intensive domains. Anesthetic practice plays a major role due to the environmental burden of volatile agents and the growing challenges of plastic waste and water pollution. This commentary examines the environmental trade-offs inherent in current anesthetic techniques and outlines equitable, context-specific strategies for greener perioperative care.
Practical approaches include minimizing fresh gas flow, avoiding desflurane and nitrous oxide, and adopting intravenous or regional techniques when clinically appropriate. While volatile-capture devices have been proposed as a technical solution, recent real-world studies demonstrate low efficiency and prohibitive costs, highlighting the need for alternative strategies. Equally important are innovations from resource-limited settings, such as low-cost reusable equipment and streamlined supply practices, which offer scalable lessons for high-resource health systems.
This commentary further underscores the importance of governance and local leadership. Strengthening institutional review boards in resource-limited settings ensures sustainability initiatives align with local priorities rather than being externally imposed. By integrating clinical, environmental, and ethical considerations, anesthesiologists can act as change agents who drive sustainable practices in both high- and low-resource contexts.
In conclusion, achieving green anesthesia requires acknowledging unavoidable trade-offs, tailoring solutions to local realities, and promoting mutual learning across diverse health systems. Equity and context-specific strategies are central to ensuring that perioperative sustainability advances environmental goals while supporting patient safety, resource stewardship, and social justice.
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