2027 AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice

Laser-related injuries can occur in seconds but have lasting consequences for patients and personnel. This update provides strengthened recommendations for hazard assessment, fire prevention, eye protection, and team training to support safe laser use in every perioperative setting.

Retained surgical items remain among the most devastating and preventable surgical events. The updated Guideline strengthens recommendations for counts, communication, technology-assisted detection, and system-wide prevention strategies to help teams reduce risk and protect patients.

Every surgical smoke plume can contain toxic chemicals, viable biologic material, and ultrafine particles that carry health consequences, especially among health care workers with career-long exposure. This update helps organizations protect staff, improve workplace safety, and advance compliance efforts with updated recommendations for smoke evacuation and filtration to minimize exposure.

Lost, mislabeled, or mishandled specimens are never events that can delay diagnosis, expose organizations to liability, and undermine patient confidence. The updated Guideline provides strengthened recommendations for specimen identification, transfer, tracking, and communication from collection through final disposition.

Reducing complications, shortening recovery, and improving patient outcomes requires coordination across the entire surgical journey. The updated ERAS Guideline expands evidence-based recommendations beyond the procedure itself, helping organizations optimize recovery through the first 30 days after surgery.

A single missed opportunity in environmental cleaning can contribute to contamination and infection risk. This major update gives perioperative leaders practical, evidence-based strategies to strengthen cleaning, disinfection, verification, and accountability across the surgical environment.