State of Dress During Surgery

For those who have had surgery, what have you been allowed to/not allowed to wear? I’m sure it varies between procedure, so what procedure did you have done, and what was the setting?

When I had double knee replacement surgery over six years ago, the only thing I had on during the surgery was my clean undershorts. Prior to the surgery, I had been covered with a white sheet about the size of a large bath towel to keep the cold air of the operating room from giving me goose bumps! When I woke up in the recovery room, I was covered with a small blanket.

I had a gown on for my ankle replacement surgery in the prep area. They knocked me out there so I have no idea if they left it on during surgery or removed it. Woke up after the surgery with a gown on and a cath inserted, assumed it was the same gown as when I went into the OR but I didn’t think about it. I was confused when I woke up and asked what the delay was…didn’t realize the surgery was over!

If you're going into a surgical suite these days, I think the standard of care is to have you completely disrobe, thoroughly cleanse your entire skin with disinfectant, and put on only a supplied clean gown. They will then cover any head and facial hair with a cap, shave any hair that would be in the surgical field, and cover you with a clean warm sheet/blanket. This process is to minimize post-op infections. It is unlikely that you would be able to wear any of your own clothes into the Suite.

I worked for many years in a hospital emergency room. In our hospital, it was accepted that every patient who is sent to the operating room or intensive care unit directly from the emergency room must be naked. It was done this way. If patients are able to stand on their own, they are asked to undress completely naked and lie down on a gurney. If patients are unable to move, nurses will assist them with removing their clothing. Then the patient is covered with a sheet and taken to the operating room. In the operating room, local nurses take a gurney and bring it to the operating table. Independent patients get up and lie down on the table themselves, the bedridden are dragged. If you bring in a patient in underwear, the O.R. staff will make a scene. I once brought a woman into the O.R. When they took the sheet off her, they found a bag of oranges on her stomach. Her relatives slipped her this bag and I didn't notice. The local nurses almost threw me out of the window along with the oranges.

I have exactly the same observation/experience as @Feldon explained in details. I think it is standard in many hospitals.

Almost 2 years ago I had a plate put in my left radius. I wore only the surgical gown and my sling on my right arm. Made it a bit difficult to keep a watch on my blood pressure in that situation. That was the day I learned an ankle can be used.

The surgeries i remember were my eye surgeries where i had to wear patient gown with disposable shoe wear and a cap. For my dental surgery where i got my wisdom teeth removed i was in my casual clothing, drapes covering everything on my body but my mouth

I've had multiple cystoscopies, colonoscopy all wearing just a hospital gown and socks. A sheet laying over me each time.

For hospital I had to take off all my own clothes (disrobing in front of the aide is fun) and had a gown. For a hernia neck and retina operations they put compression device on my lower legs, and socks. Knee operation just the gown. For cataract surgery in the doctor's office surgical suite, it was weird. I just took off my shoes. They put a drape over my shirt, sterile drapes on the face.

I've had two surgeries so far and with both I went into the ER on a gurney with a gown on that opened in the back. I was given anaesthesia and then woke up later, also with a gown on.

I had other more immediate things on my mind than being naked or not (like: am I going to wake up again?) and did not care one way or the other, though I knew that patients are never operated on for even halfway serious matters with any clothing on. That was a given.

In the UK even for minor operations the patient is naked under the gown except for TED's stockings ( anti embolic stockings). This as always been the case as far back as I can remember. With regards to the ITU, patients are naked under their gowns, the only exceptions are pyrexial patients with temperatures above 38C they are naked under the sheet which is usually dampen with tepid water to reduce their temperature.

For vasectomy, just a surgical gown and some grippy socks. I did my own shaving the day before.

I had a vasectomy and was taken to a side room to undress completely before putting on a gown. Whilst I was getting undressed a nurse came in and watched before helping me to put on the gown. During the surgery the gown was lifted to expose my genitalia for the surgeon to work on. After the procedure I was escorted back to the side room where I was left to rest. After a few minutes a nurse came in and checked the wounds before I left.

I had surgery in August. For me the process was show up to hospital and get admitted, do paperwork, blood pressure test etc. I was then shown by a nurse into a room with curtains pulled where I was undressed down to underwear and had an ECG done. From there I was shown to a bathroom and left to fully undress and shower, then put on hospital issue underwear and a gown. The underwear is this stretchy paper type fabric with an elastic around the waist.

https://linearmedical.com.au/products/theatre-briefs?srsltid=AfmBOorHilDRj_mOIQa4hwDd5Rgr0K-pon7tatBGqxKqCeolzHTNSkS8

For major surgeries I’ve had like hernia repair and gallbladder removal, I’ve been naked except for the provided gown and grippy socks.

For my gallbladder removal, when I woke in recovery they had placed the air powered compression stockings on me. The first time I got to to use the bathroom my urethra was quite irritated, and that’s how I found out they had placed and removed a catheter while I was under anesthesia. I would have liked to have been awake for that!

For my vasectomy, the urologist just had me remove pants and underwear and hop up on the stirrups chair. The nurse then cleaned, draped, and prepped me all right there.

I know what I look like before I enter the twilight zone. During a procedure less awareness is better!

Rugby shorts, thats it

For my Orchiopexy as a kid age 6, naked, just covered with a blanket while moved into the OR, for my appendectomy at age 24, a gown and nothing underneath. For surgery on my ankle (metal in and later metal out) a gown and a flimsy paper slip type underwear.

I’ve been naked except for the provided gown and grippy socks.

Tighty whities under gown, with hospital socks.

I had a bypass surgery about 4 yrs ago (done with a robot to be doing it the less invasive way possible) and I was naked during surgery as well as afterwards in IC.

Few weeks ago I had a tumor removed from my right cheek (

Checked in around 11am undressed completely nurse put an bandages on my back to fight bed rush got hospital socks and hospital gown

Long wait and got rolled into or around 630pm a minute after I was out woke up 1040 pm with a drain tube out of my neck big scar and no catheter

Got home midnight

For all my surgeries I was told to undress and put on a gown, opening in the back. When I came to in the recovery room I was still wearing the gown. Whether they took it off during the surgery or just moved it around as necessary I’ll never know.

I have had numerous surgeries since childhood and most were initially health related like tonsils and adenoids and similar, but then I had multiple orthopedic surgeries after a bad hip problem, but from 70s on up until around 2000 I was always told to remove all my clothes including underwear in pre op. Now it depends on where the surgery is and how long it will last since they may need to insert a catheter like at my hip replacement.

I had my gallbladder removed in the spring and during the surgery I was wearing an open shirt and hospital underwear.

My impression is when it involves general anaesthesia, patients should be naked.

In gown but removed face down naked for spinal surgery covered by op covers

Years ago, I was an OR orderly. Everyone who came into the OR had a gown and nothing else, and then the gown was removed once on the table. They were then covered with a sheet until the anesthesia took effect and surgery started. Occasionally, someone would come in with underwear/panties under the gown, but they came off, too. Kids often came in in pajamas, but they came off when they got settled on the table. The pre-op nurses were pretty good about getting everything, but sometimes patients who were extremely modest would keep them. They still came off once they were on the table. Something like a simple tonsillectomy, and kid would come in in pajamas and only the top would be taken off.

Any procedure I have had, no matter what, I have been nude with a gown. Whether the gown came off once I was asleep. I do not know, although I think it was left on the last time that I had a colonoscopy, but was swept out of the way so the whole back and butt was exposed. (At least that's how it was before the sedation caused me to fall asleep.

I can't think of any procedure that I've had done in a hospital setting where I wasn't naked under the gown when I was brought into the OR. I've had minor procedures done outpatient that I kept underpants on for but was otherwise naked. Those weren't done under full anesthesia but either twilight sedation or a local.