Reduction and standardization of surgical instruments in pediatric inguinal hernia repair

One way of reducing waste in theatre is to think about the surgical instruments we use (or open and don’t use!).

This study does not focus on environmental sustainability, but does look at reducing instrument usage/waste by standardising the instruments used in a commonly performed (paediatric) surgical procedure. The paper describes how they went about implementing the change and also demonstrates that this is acceptable to surgical teams, with potential to reduce costs and positively impact quality, safety, and efficiencies. I am therefore posting it in the hope it might be helpful to individuals who are keen to try and persuade other members of their team to engage with reducing waste.