Operating under pressure: a scoping review of the effects of climate change on general surgery - Takeaways - MDSpire
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Climate Change and General Surgery: A Scoping Review of Impacts on Surgical Practice

  • By

  • Kimberly P. Woo

  • Ali Alipouriani

  • Jenny H. Chang

  • William C. Bennett

  • Abby Gross

  • Divya Deverakonda

  • Nikhila Yerabandi

  • Mary Schleicher

  • Alberto Arezzo

  • Marina Yiasemidou

  • Maggie Hodges

  • Vittoria Bellato

  • Myrthe M. M. Eussen

  • Patricia Sylla

  • Shaneeta M. Johnson

  • Ilyssa O. Gordon

  • Sofya Asfaw

  • Benjamin T. Miller

  • October 16, 2026

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  • 1

    Healthcare accounts for approximately 8.5% of US greenhouse gas emissions, and operating rooms are especially energy- and resource-intensive.

  • 2

    This scoping review mapped peer-reviewed research on climate change and general surgery, including surgical oncology, acute care, trauma, and burn surgery.

  • 3

    The review followed PRISMA-ScR guidance and searched four databases on August 29, 2025, without search filters or limiters.

  • 4

    Of 6,678 citations identified, 28 articles met the review’s inclusion criteria after screening and duplicate removal.

  • 5

    Because study objectives and outcomes were heterogeneous, the authors synthesized the included literature thematically rather than quantitatively.

Original Source(s)

Operating under pressure: a scoping review of the effects of climate change on general surgery

  • by Kimberly P. Woo, Ali Alipouriani, Jenny H. Chang, William C. Bennett, Abby Gross, Divya Deverakonda, Nikhila Yerabandi, Mary Schleicher, Alberto Arezzo, Marina Yiasemidou, Maggie Hodges, Vittoria Bellato, Myrthe M. M. Eussen, Patricia Sylla, Shaneeta M. Johnson, Ilyssa O. Gordon, Sofya Asfaw, Benjamin T. Miller

  • October 16, 2026

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