MINI REVIEW article
Front. Anesthesiol.
Sec. Perioperative Medicine
Volume 4 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fanes.2025.1633998
This article is part of the Research TopicEditors' Showcase: Perioperative MedicineView all articles
Climate-Conscious Anesthesia in LMICs: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable
Provisionally accepted
Gautham Patel*
Shubhkarman Kahlon- Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India
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Background: Green or climate-conscious anesthesia aims to reduce the environmental footprint of anesthetic practice. While this is progressing in high-income countries (HICs), low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) face unique implementation barriers. Objective: This narrative review explores the environmental impact of anesthesia, identifies LMIC-specific barriers, and outlines feasible sustainability strategies. Methods: A thematic synthesis of relevant literature, guidelines, and case studies from databases and institutional sources was performed. Results: Inhaled agents such as desflurane and nitrous oxide significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. LMICs struggle with cost constraints, limited technology, and insufficient training.However, low-flow techniques, regional anesthesia, reusable equipment, and educational reform offer practical solutions. Conclusion: Despite challenges, climate-conscious anesthesia is achievable in LMICs through targeted, cost-effective interventions backed by education, policy reform, and global collaboration.
Keywords: Green anesthesia, sustainable perioperative care, LMICs, low-flow techniques, regional anesthesia, global health
Received: 23 May 2025; Accepted: 25 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Patel and Kahlon. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Gautham Patel, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.