Neurointerventional procedures generated an average of 6.7 kg of solid waste per case in a prospective observational study of 100 procedures performed in a tertiary care angiography suite, with clinical waste accounting for just over half of the total waste stream.
In the analysis, investigators quantified the types and volume of waste produced during neurointerventional procedures and evaluated the associated disposal costs and estimated carbon emissions.
The investigators conducted the study during a 90-day period from April 1 to June 30, 2025, measuring waste from all consecutive neurointerventional procedures performed in a hospital’s neurointerventional angiography suite. Waste was collected from the start of procedural preparation through equipment disposal and weighed using calibrated electronic scales.
Waste per procedure ranged from 3.2 kg to 15.7 kg. Clinical waste represented the largest component at 3.5 kg ± 1.0 kg per procedure, accounting for 51% of the total waste.
Recyclable materials also represented a substantial portion of the waste generated during the procedures. Recyclable plastic averaged 1.4 kg ± 0.7 kg per procedure, representing 20.2% of total waste, whereas recyclable paper averaged 0.9 kg ± 0.7 kg, accounting for 13.4%.
Waste production varied according to procedure type and complexity. Aneurysm procedures generated the highest average waste volume at 8.9 kg ± 2.6 kg per procedure, followed by mechanical thrombectomy at 7.6 kg ± 1.8 kg. In contrast, diagnostic cerebral angiography generated 5.2 kg ± 1.3 kg , and vasospasm treatments generated 5.4 kg ± 0.8 kg on average.
Procedures involving specialized materials, such as stent angioplasty and embolization with liquid agents, showed higher proportions of recyclable plastic and paper waste because of packaging.
Based on waste management department disposal costs, the investigators estimated that the average waste disposal cost was about $1.56 per procedure. Costs varied by procedure type, ranging from about $1.20 for diagnostic cerebral angiography to $1.92 for aneurysm embolization.
Across all 100 procedures, the total solid waste measured 672.5 kg. Extrapolated to an annual procedural volume in the department, the investigators estimated 2,690 kg of waste per year. If incinerated, this volume would generate approximately 2,889 kg of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Differences in waste volume and disposal costs across procedures of varying complexity indicated the need for targeted waste-reduction strategies, and the estimated annual carbon dioxide emissions from waste incineration demonstrated the environmental impact of these practices.
“The variability in waste generation and associated disposal costs based on procedural complexity highlights the need for tailored waste reduction strategies,” wrote lead study author Johannes A. R. Pfaff, MD, MHBA, of the Department of Neuroradiology at the University Hospital Salzburg at the Paracelsus Medical University in Austria, and colleagues.
Full disclosures can be found in the study.
Source: Radiology
