Status Quo Bias: An Overlooked Barrier to Sustainable Surgical Care

Healthcare contributes to the climate change, with operating theatres among the most resource-intensive environments. Although technological solutions to mitigate this exist, behavioural factors remain under-recognised barriers to sustainable surgical practice. This perspective examines status quo bias as a driver of reliance on single-use devices in surgery, one of the contributors to the carbon footprint of operating rooms. Drawing on behavioural economics, historical examples, and surgical data, we explore how entrenched defaults, training culture, and lack of feedback perpetuate waste without improving outcomes. Addressing status quo bias through redesigned defaults, feedback mechanisms, and cultural change is essential to advancing responsible surgical care.