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S U S T A I N A B L E
S U C C E S S
in 2009 reportedly resulted in a 33% reduction in energy consumption,
34% reduction in heat generation and 30 times longer bulb life.
What your surgical team will clearly notice is that LED lights give
off much less heat than halogen bulbs. Surgeons who work under hot
halogen lights often want ORs kept chilly for their comfort. Because
LEDs give off less heat, surgeons don't need air-conditioning cranked
as high, resulting in less energy consumption for cooling.
Worrying about maintaining normothermia while lowering OR temperatures to counteract the heat given off by traditional surgical
lamps is counterintuitive, so your patient warming efforts will also
benefit when surgeons work under cool LEDs. Limited research suggests LED lights lead to decreased wound drying, which, like
hypothermia, has been linked to surgical site infections.
LEDs also produce consistently bright white illumination at color
temperatures of 4,400 Kelvin, compared to the yellowish hue generated by halogen bulbs at color temperatures around 3,200K. In addition,
the LEDs embedded in lightheads adjust the output of various sections when obstructions such as the surgeon's head come between
the path of the light and the surgical field, creating shadow-free light.
5. Seek eco-friendly vendors
More medical device manufacturers are making equipment with less
toxic metals and chemicals, especially if they're trying to comply with
European directives such as Restrictions of Hazardous Substances
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | F E B R U A R Y 2013
