Background: Plastic drapes are used in surgery for a wide range of purposes, but currently marketed drapes often become detached from the wound edge during surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriate adhesive layer thickness for optimal peel and shear strength and the smallest peeled area to improve surgical drape wound adhesion.
Methods: Thirty-two rats were randomly assigned to four groups of different adhesive layer thickness (50, 100, 300 and 800-1000 μm). The rats were anaesthetized, and drapes were applied to the dorsal chest. After incision, the peeled area was visualized by dropping ink in the wound site to measure the peeled area over time.
Results: All drapes peeled off from the wound edge, and the peeled area increased over time. The peeled area decreased in the order of 50 μm > 100 μm > 800-1000 μm > 300 μm.
Conclusions: It is possible to control the peeling of plastic drapes during surgery by limiting the peeled area at the time of cutting. Three-hundred micrometres is the suitable adhesive layer thickness to minimize the peeled area at cutting.
Keywords: adhesive; preoperative care; surgical drape; surgical equipment; surgical site infection.
© 2020 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.