Are the operating rooms safe enough?
A webinar titled, “Is Your Operating Room Safe Enough? Smoke Absorbers” was co-organized by Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Izmir University of Economics (IUE) and Turkish Surgical and Operating Room Nurses Association. The webinar, in which 559 people participated, was held on IUE Blackboard Collaborate and moderated by Prof. Meryem Yavuz van Giersbergen from Faculty of Nursing, Ege University. Participating in the webinar as a speaker, Assoc. Prof. Taylan Özgür Sezer, General Surgeon Specialist at Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital also shared valuable information.
Assoc. Prof. Sezer mentioned the effects of exposure to surgical smoke in the operating room environment on air quality and pointed out that it was like the effect of smoking unfiltered cigarettes. Stating that everyone, including the patient in the operating room, especially the surgeon and nurse in the surgical team, can be affected by surgical smoke, Assoc. Prof. Sezer said that smoke evacuation system should be used to prevent this.
Assoc. Prof. Sezer delivered an interactive presentation to the audience, including videos of smoke evacuation devices that have been used in the General Surgery Operating Room of Ege University Medical Faculty Hospital for about 5 years.
In his presentation, Assoc. Prof. Sezer also talked about the results of a study of Prof. Meryem Yavuz van Giersbergen from Faculty of Nursing, Ege University, and her Ph.D. student on the effects of surgical smoke exposure on the surgical team in their operating rooms. The webinar was completed with contributions and questions of nurses and academics working in many hospitals and universities in Turkey.
At the end of the event, Prof. Filiz Öğce, Dean of IUE Faculty of Health Sciences, and the President of Turkish Surgical and Operating Room Nurses Association, presented a certificate of appreciation to Prof. Meryem Yavuz van Giersbergen and Assoc. Prof. Taylan Özgür Sezer for their contributions.