Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Absorbent Mats: Paving the way for product redesign and informed decision-making to promote sustainable healthcare practices

Absorbent mats, abundantly used in hospitals, are integral to maintaining hygiene and cleanliness by effectively collecting and retaining patient's bodily fluids. absorbent mats are available as disposable and reusable products. In the Netherlands, predominantly disposable products are used, and approximately 23 million absorbent mats are...

Electromagnetic navigation in mandible reconstruction surgery: Introduction and assessment of a noninvasive method for patient registration

In patients with oral cavity cancer invading the mandible, a segmental bone resection is performed and the original contour of the mandible is reconstructed with a free fibula flap. Virtual surgical planning is performed prior to surgery to determine the locations and orientations of the osteotomy planes on the mandible and fibula. Currently,...

Development and Evaluation of an Integrated Medical Imaging Workstation for Diagnostic and Surgical Planning Support in Pancreatic Cancer

Introduction <br/>Pancreatic cancer is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States and has only a 5-year survival rate of 10%. Pancreatoduodenectomy is the cornerstone of curative treatment for patients diagnosed with pancreatic head cancer. Only 20% of the patients are candidate for surgery since many patients...

Surgical team’ sustainable employability in minimally invasive surgery: To achieve a balanced employability to counteract waste of talent and skills in a sustainable way

Technological developments in the medical world introduce a shift in responsibilities of the surgical team members which might result in waste of talent and skills. The latter might result in disengagement and decreased productivity and thus in illness-related absenteeism. The people pillar of sustainability aims to create a healthy workplace...

Developing a Carbon Emissions Tool for Dutch Operating Rooms Using a Hybrid Modelling Approach: A MSc thesis for Industrial Ecology

Climate change is a large and global concern. The healthcare sector contributes between 6% and 10% to national carbon emissions in developed countries. Within the healthcare sector, operation rooms are very resource-intensive. A lot of energy, medical products, equipment and pharmaceuticals are required to perform surgery on a daily basis. This...

Medical Instrument Tray Optimization: Combining Use Rates, Expert Opinions and Risk Analyses

The operating room and central sterile supply department (CSSD) are two<br/>resource-intensive healthcare departments. Reducing the environmental and financial impact of these departments is of great importance in the global debate on sustainability. Removing unnecessary items from instrument trays may provide a partial solution. However,...