Background
Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres.
Methods
This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries.
Results
In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia.
Conclusion
This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries.
Cysts are uncommon congenital lesions of the fetal penis. Fetal penile cysts can develop when epithelial cells become entrapped during the fusion of the labial scrotal folds. The spectrum of diagnoses varies from simple epidermal inclusion cysts and megalourethra to hypospadias. In our case, we present a penile cyst that appeared between the 16 th and 24 th weeks. There was no other congenital anomaly, and since the mother did not accept an amniocentesis, we could not learn the karyotyping findings. As there were no other signs of congenital anomalies on ultrasound, we decided only to follow up, and at the 24 th week's control ultrasound, the cyst was completely resolved with no other imaging findings.
Summary:
Multiple techniques have been proposed for columellar reconstruction. However, in our patients with philtrum scars, none of them were promising a satisfactory outcome in one stage. Therefore, to achieve the best results in a single-stage surgery, we used a modification of the philtrum flap to repair the columella, named the Kalender (fasciocutaneous philtrum island) flap. Nine patients were operated on using this technique. The male-to-female ratio was 2:1, with a mean age of 22. The mean follow-up period was 12 months. Patient satisfaction and postoperative complications were assessed postoperatively and at all follow-ups using a five-point Likert scale. In addition, patients were satisfied with the aesthetic outcome with a mean score of 4.4. We did not observe any complications. Our experience shows that this method is a safe and technically simple alternative for columellar reconstruction in a select group of patients with philtrum scars.
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