removing gowns

Specialties Operating Room

Published

Quick question. I just had a foot surgery in day surgery today and was only given versed-so no general anesthesia or anything and the surgery lasted about an hour. They put my tele on with my gown still on, laid blankets over me, gave me the versed/O2 and were already starting to lay my hands down on the outstretched arm boards...which would lead me to believe my gown was left on during the procedure...however, my gown was untied when I woke up afterwards. My question is, what my gown removed? Possibly after I was under? Or was it just untied as a precaution in case I became a code?

Also, I thought they were supposed to protect skin during OR procedures. I came home with two new bruises on the bony prominences of my elbows.

I'm currently just a med/surg nurse and I don't stop with the questions until I find my answers! :chuckle

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Depending on the location of your foot operative site, they might have had to position you on your stomach, in which case they would have removed your gown before doing so.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

We always untie the gown. You don't want things bunched up under the patient.(such as extra material or the knots of the gown) Also, we put a grounding pad on for electrocautery and anesthesia puts leads on(even if the patient is getting MAC) We need access to the patient's body for these things.

I know you said the leads were already placed, but it has happened where they've had to move one. At any rate, I don't think they were peeking at you.

I doubt the bruises were from your surgery but you may have given them to yourself inadvertently...some of our patients experience funky affects from medication and they thrash around, try to climb off of the bed etc. We do indeed protect skin as much as we possibly can. You may have had them before and just didn't notice.

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

I get very irritated when I find a patient's gown tied. It is old school to keep everything loose around a patient. I even unsnap the arm sleeves.

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A gown left tied can lead to pressure sores from impeded circulation just as and unpadded boney prominence so regardless of positioning, the gown should be untied and pulled from underneath because of possible bunching. Typically this is best accommodated while the patient is still conscious. It may have been done while you were conscious but you don’t remember that part because of the Versed. If you were positioned prone, the same rules apply about the gown bunching and it should be removed (my facility waits until the patient is unconscious because of embarrassment but maintains the patient’s dignity and covers as soon as positioning is completed).

Bruising on the elbows can range from unpadded boney prominences to a combative patient to you simply bruise easy. There are too many variables to speculate on this.

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I get very irritated when I find a patient's gown tied. It is old school to keep everything loose around a patient. I even unsnap the arm sleeves.

Not as irritated as when a patient arrives to the O.R. wearing underwear and jewelry. :D

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Specializes in Operating Room.
Not as irritated as when a patient arrives to the O.R. wearing underwear and jewelry. :D

true dat!!

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Gown knots can be irritating, so untying them is a good idea. Also, gowns can get wrapped around you like (in the words of one of our CRNA's) a burrito during transfers, so we always untie the gown and pull the gown out from under the patient when we move them from the stretcher to OR table and back.

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.
Not as irritated as when a patient arrives to the O.R. wearing underwear and jewelry. :D

Please don't get me started!:angryfire:angryfire

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Not as irritated as when a patient arrives to the O.R. wearing underwear and jewelry. :D

My facility is great and rarely sends pts. with jewelry or undies. If they do, there is a good reason.

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Not as irritated as when a patient arrives to the O.R. wearing underwear and jewelry. :D

add to that... nail polish and dentures! the patient was not told of the importance of removing these things, so the client was able to conceal that she had dentures... no excuse for the nail polish! :banghead:

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.
Not as irritated as when a patient arrives to the O.R. wearing underwear and jewelry. :D

You must have met my mother!! :icon_roll :imbar

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