Investigating the Effects of Five Different Methods for Surgical Smoke Protection: An Experimental Study

Aim: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of five different methods for protecting against surgical smoke. Methods: This experimental study was carried out in the operating room of XXX University Hospital. To reduce exposure to surgical smoke, five different protective methods were implemented in practice. A total of 140 samples (including blood and urine) were collected from operating room personnel both before and after surgery. The samples were categorized as preoperative and postoperative and analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: In surgeries where a combination of N95 masks, protective goggles, and a wall-mounted aspirator was used, the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the blood of the operating room team decreased postoperatively; however, this reduction was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In contrast, when smoke evacuation was performed using a smoke tubing and a smoke evacuation pencil, an increase in blood VOC levels was observed after surgery, although this increase was also not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The use of N95 masks, protective goggles, and a wall-mounted aspirator was associated with a reduction in postoperative blood VOC levels in the operating room team, although the change was not statistically significant. Conversely, surgeries employing smoke tubing and a smoke evacuation pencil resulted in increased VOC levels, but the difference was not statistically significant.