Surgical drapes made by ePTFE laminate and outsourcing system for managing supplies

Surgical drapes are necessary for any kind of operation. Surgical drapes should have good functions and performance, and should be low cost. In addition, medical waste after using surgical drapes should be minimized. Surgical drapes made by a laminate constructed by combining an expanded polytetrafl uoroethylene (ePTFE)membrane and two diff erent polyester fi lms have been adopted at Tenri Hospital since November 2010. We originally designed three types of surgical drapes for otological surgery, oralrhinological surgery, and head and neck surgery because of the variety of otorhinolaryngological surgeries. Surgical drapes made by ePTFE laminate have satisfactory functions and performance in terms of waterproofness, moisture permeability, hydrophilia, barrier performance against bacteria and viruses, and intensity. Moreover, as surgical drapes made by ePTFE laminate are reusable, medical waste, the major source of which is disposable surgical supplies, has been reduced. At the same time, an outsourcing system has been adopted for managing the supply of surgical drapes : the collection, washing, sterilization, checking and delivery of drapes are entrusted to specialized dealers. The introduction of surgical drapes made by ePTFE laminate and the outsourcing system have resulted in lower total costs. We hope that surgical drapes made by ePTFE laminate will become widely commonly used at many hospitals.