crisis. And this was not the surgeons' fault.
The OR wasn't always temperature controlled and surgeons didn't
always wear Class II surgical gowns. But sterility took on an increas-
ingly important role in the profession and required surgical team
members to wear added layers of protection, which makes them
warmer during surgery. It's therefore not unusual for them to keep
ORs cool and comfortable. That can have an impact on the patient's
core temperature –– especially during longer procedures.
For instance, during deep inferior epigastric perforator artery sur-
gery, better known as a free flap, the patient is on the table for a mini-
mum of eight hours and can be exposed from the neck to pubis the
whole time. The surgeon removes skin, muscle, arteries and veins
from the stomach. The blood vessels are then matched to those in the
chest. The two sets of vessels are clipped, and arteries are sewn. Once
vasculature is established, the muscle is put into place and the skin
sutured.
When the surgeon is removing the top layer of dermis, the patient
will become more sensitive to the cold. The IV drips at ambient tem-
J U L Y 2 0 2 0 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T • 3 9
Patient Warming without Forced Air,
Machines or Hoses
Perioperative Warming & Thermal Disposable Products
• Supports Perioperative Normothermia
• Thermal Products Passively Retain Body Heat
Products Include:
• Surgical Warming Drapes
• Thermal Bouffant Caps & Booties
• Warming Forearm IV Prep Pads & More
LEARN MORE:
www.welmed.us/thermaldrape.php | 847-337-1750 | thermal@welmed.us
Disposable Surgical Drapes with Integrated Warming
Features
• Supports Normothermia in the OR
• Immediate Warming Upon Activation
• Tested and Effective for Over 4 Hours
