How to protect healthcare workers in the operating room? Beyond disposable face masks, surgical caps, and isolation gowns, surgical gowns are among the most widely used PPE during procedures. Designed for environments with moderate to high risk of contamination, these medical gowns cover larger critical zones than standard isolation gowns, which can help protect both patients and surgical staff from microorganisms, fluids, and particles. Many surgical gown suppliers provide various sizes to ensure comfort and maximum safety.
In this blog, we will we’ll walk you through how to wear surgical gown to help maintain a sterile environment in the OR.
Why Don a Surgical Gown?
Patient and staff safety in the operating room depends on many factors, but maintaining a sterile environment is essential to protect healthcare workers and patients while reducing the risk of infection. Sterile surgical gowns play a key role in this by:
- Preventing cross-infection: disposable surgeon gowns help block bacteria carried by surgeons and also protect against contamination from blood and other fluids during procedures.
- Providing a sterile barrier: Hospital gowns should come in sterile packaging, which must be checked for damage before use. When combined with sterile gloves, caps, masks, and disposable shoe covers, they help create and maintain a sterile field.
- Resisting fluid penetration: Scrub gowns are often made from SMMS or SMMMS materials (see our disposable PPE material guide for details). These nonwoven fabrics offer excellent resistance to alcohol, blood, oil, and water while remaining breathable, reducing the risk of direct skin contact and occupational exposure.
Disposable surgical gowns are classified by AAMI protection levels, so you can select the right gown based on the specific risk level of each procedure. Wearing a surgical hospital gown correctly isn’t just a protocol; it’s a responsibility to protect both patients and surgical staff. If you’re looking for a reliable, CE/FDA-certified surgical gowns supplier, contact Orient Honest for samples and a quote!
Surgical Gowning Procedure Step By Step
The proper gowning procedure is critical to both surgical success and safety. Below are the detailed steps for correctly putting on a surgical gown:
Step 1
After performing surgical hand and arm disinfection, pick up the sterile surgical gown and step into an area where the gown may be opened without risk of contamination. Hold the medical gown by the sleeve openings. Fully open the gown, keeping it away from your body.
Step 2
Insert your hands and forearms into the sleeves, keeping your hands at shoulder height and away from your body to avoid touching anything that could cause contamination.
Step 3
Pull the cuffs down to thumb height. If you’re using closed gloving, push your hands to the edge of the cuffs.
Step 4
The circulating nurse should pull the disposable surgeon gown over your shoulders, touching only the inner side of the gown. The gown should extend up to cover the neck and tuck behind the ears to ensure full neck coverage.
Step 5
The circulating nurse should fasten the neck closure (hook-and-loop or tie).
Step 6
The circulating nurse should tie the inner waist belt and secure it. If the hospital gown is too large, cross the back ties to tighten the fit.
Step 7
Put on sterile disposable gloves. Then, with your gloved hands, hold the waist card that holds the left outer belt separate from the card itself. Hold the belt in your left hand.
Step 8
Pass the waist card to the circulating nurse. Turn your body three-quarters to the left while the circulating nurse extends the outer belt to its full length.
Step 9
Pull the outer belt out of the waist card held by the circulating nurse, and tie it together with the left outer belt at your waist.
At this point, the disposable surgical gown is fully and correctly worn according to sterile standards.
How to Remove a Disposable Surgical Gown Safely?
Properly removing a surgical gown is just as important as putting it on. When taking off the medical isolation gown, it’s essential to follow specific steps to help maintain a sterile environment. Next, let’s see how to correctly remove the gown to maintain sterility.
- Step 1: Pull the gown away from your body to break the ties.
- Step 2: While removing the gown, roll it inside out into a bundle, touching only the outside of the gown with your gloved hands.
- Step 3: Peel off the gloves as you remove the gown, making sure to touch only the inside of the gloves and gown with your bare hands.
- Step 4: Dispose of the gown and gloves properly, then disinfect your hands.
- Step 5: Remove the first glove using the glove-to-glove technique.
- Step 6: Remove the last glove using the skin-to-skin technique.
- Step 7: Finally, disinfect your hands again.
In Conclusion
Correctly donning and removing disposable surgical gowns is critical for maintaining a sterile environment and protecting surgeons and nurses from infection risks.
At Orient Honest, we specialize in manufacturing high-quality disposable PPE products backed by over 20 years of industry experience. We are committed to helping medical distributors, wholesalers, and healthcare facilities worldwide access reliable, safe, and durable PPE solutions.
If you’re looking for a trusted partner to provide one-stop disposable surgical gown solutions, don’t hesitate to contact us today through sales@orienthonest.com!
