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Types of Surgical Drapes

Surgical drapes are pieces of cloth or plastic placed over surgical machinery, surgical tables and other objects present in the operating room. The drapes are made from varying materials and often reinforced so that body fluids will not seep through them.

  1. Cardiovascular Drapes

    • Cardiovascular drapes are used for cardiovascular procedures and are designed to withstand long procedures. They are outfitted with a self-adhesive that will secure the area around the incision. Cardiovascular drapes are usually light and strong. Often, cardiovascular drapes are designed to be resistant to lint build-up so as to avoid bacterial infection and are reinforced so that body fluids will not seep through them.

    Orthopedic Drapes

    • Orthopedic drapes are designed for orthopedic surgeries. Orthopedic surgeries usually involve the muscular and skeletal systems. Orthopedic surgical drapes usually have smaller incision areas than other types of drapes and are designed for surgeries ranging from hip to arthroscopy. Common features of orthopedic drapes include fluid collection pouches, low lint creation and high resistance to tearing, strikethrough and abrasion.

    Other Types of Specialized Drapes

    • Specialized drapes come in packs designed for general surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, neurology and urology.

    Woven Surgical Drapes

    • Woven surgical drapes are commonly made from either linen or cotton. Linen is a common material from which surgical drapes are manufactured. Usually, linen surgical drapes are woven with 140 to 160 threads per square inch, while cotton drapes usually have 280 threads per square inch. A big problem with linen surgical drapes is that they are not liquid repellent and contain high levels of lint. Woven drapes have a host of issues with sterilization and contamination risk.

    Non-Woven Surgical Drapes

    • Non-woven surgical drapes are made from synthetic materials such as nylon, rayon and polyester, held together with cellulose fibers. Non-woven surgical drapes were created to approach all the problems that arose with woven surgical drapes. These types of drapes provide an excellent barrier, a low level of linting and are tear resistant. They are usually disposed after one use.

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