Reusable OT Gowns and Drapes: A Buying Guide for UAE Hospitals and Clinics

Buying reusable OT gowns and drapes in the UAE comes down to four decisions: which items your theatres actually use, what fabric and construction each item needs, what documentation the supplier can give you on barrier performance, and how the textiles will be laundered, inspected and sterilised once they arrive. Get those right on paper before you ask for prices, and the quotations you receive will be comparable, realistic and easy to reorder from.

This guide walks through each decision in order, with a checklist at the end you can use to brief suppliers.

Start with an inventory of what your theatres use

Reusable theatre textiles cover more than surgeon gowns. Before asking for a quotation, list every textile item that passes through your theatres and central sterile services department (CSSD), and note which ones you want in reusable form. A typical list includes:

• Surgeon gowns (sterile, worn by the scrubbed team)
• Plain drapes for covering the patient and table
• Fenestrated drapes with an opening over the surgical site
• Trolley covers and Mayo stand covers
• Instrument wrapping cloths
• Theatre hand towels and table sheets

For each item, record the procedures it is used for, how many are used per case, and which theatre or specialty uses it. A day-surgery centre doing short orthopaedic and general cases has very different needs from a hospital with a busy obstetric theatre. If you are unsure how drapes differ from one another, our overview of types of surgical drapes is a useful starting point.

Counting usage for a few typical weeks, rather than estimating, also gives you a sound basis for the quantities you order and for the par levels you will need to keep the laundry cycle running without shortages.

Decide what each item must do

Reusable theatre textiles are working equipment. Each one has a job, and the specification should follow from that job rather than from a catalogue.

Surgeon gowns

Surgeon gowns are put on after scrubbing and must be sterile when they reach the theatre. The details that matter most are:

1. Back closure. Wrap-around backs are standard for surgeon gowns because the back panel overlaps and covers the wearer's back once tied.
2. Cuffs. Knitted cuffs sit under the glove and stop the sleeve riding up.
3. Fastening. Ties, press studs or a combination. Discuss with your CSSD how each behaves through their packing and sterilisation process.
4. Size range. Theatre teams vary a lot in height and build, so plan a size breakdown rather than one size for all.

Drapes and covers

Drapes are usually specified by finished dimensions, and fenestrated drapes also need the opening's size, shape and position. Supply a drawing for each fenestrated drape, with measurements, rather than a description. Trolley and Mayo stand covers need to fit your actual equipment, so measure the trolleys and stands you own rather than relying on nominal sizes.

Wrapping cloths

Instrument wrapping cloths are part of the sterile barrier system your CSSD manages. Their size and fabric should be agreed with the CSSD manager, who will judge them against the department's own sterilisation and packing procedures.

Choosing fabric and colour

Reusable theatre textiles are typically woven cotton or poly-cotton. Each has trade-offs:

Factor	Cotton woven	Poly-cotton woven
Feel	Soft, breathable	Smoother, slightly crisper
Drying time	Longer	Shorter
Shrinkage	Needs allowance	Usually lower
Lint	Can shed more as it ages	Typically lower
Comfort under theatre lights	Breathable	Depends on weave and weight

There is no single correct answer. Ask for the fibre blend, fabric weight and weave in writing, and check how the fabric behaves after repeated processing during a sample trial. For a fuller comparison, read our guide to surgical gown fabrics.

Colour is mostly a practical choice. Theatre green and blue are common in operating theatres, but some facilities use other colours to separate theatres, specialties or item types. Whatever you choose, record the shade on the approved specification so reorders match.

Ask the right questions about barrier performance

This is the area where buyers most often get vague answers. Woven reusable textiles are not automatically barrier-rated. If your infection-control team needs a gown or drape to meet a particular barrier standard, say so in the request and ask the supplier to state in writing:

• Which standard, if any, the fabric or finished product has been tested to
• Which edition of the standard, and which areas of the garment were tested
• Who carried out the testing, and whether the report can be shared
• Whether performance was assessed after repeated laundering and sterilisation

If the supplier cannot provide documentation, treat the items as reusable theatre textiles, not certified barrier products, and let your infection-control team decide where they can be used. Our article on surgical gown barrier standards explains what the main standards cover and how to read a supplier's claims.

Plan for the reprocessing cycle

Reusable textiles only work if the laundry and CSSD can process them reliably. Before you place a bulk order, check:

1. Laundry capacity. Can your in-house or contracted laundry handle the volume and turnaround?
2. Inspection. Who checks each item for holes, thin areas and failed fastenings, and against what criteria?
3. Cycle tracking. How will you know when an item has reached the end of its useful life? Many facilities use a tick-box grid, a printed counter or barcode labels.
4. Packing and sterilisation. Does the CSSD have the packing space, wraps and steriliser capacity for the new items?

Your CSSD and infection-control team set the rules here. The supplier's job is to make textiles that suit the process you already run, so share your laundry and sterilisation conditions with the supplier at the start.

Marking, labelling and identification

Theatre textiles move between theatres, laundry and CSSD many times. Clear marking reduces losses and mix-ups. Typical options include:

• Hospital name or logo for laundry identification
• Item code and size on a label that survives processing
• Theatre or specialty markings where items are allocated
• Space for cycle counting if you track reuse manually

Agree the marking method during sampling so it can be checked after several wash and sterilisation cycles.

Sampling, approval and reorders

Never go straight to bulk. Request a sample of each item, process it through your actual laundry and sterilisation cycle several times, and have theatre staff wear and handle it. Check fit, fastenings, cuffs, drape dimensions, fenestration position and shrinkage. Once approved, the specification should be recorded so later orders match.

With MISHAREN, OT gowns and drapes are made to order at the company's own production unit in Konni, Kerala, India, and shipped to the UAE for each order, with delivery across all seven emirates. Shipping time is part of the lead time and is confirmed in the quotation, so build that into your planning for theatre openings and stock replacement.

A quick checklist before you request quotations

• A list of every item with quantities, sizes and the theatres that use them
• Drape dimensions and fenestration drawings
• Measurements of trolleys and Mayo stands
• Preferred fabric (cotton or poly-cotton) and colour
• Back closure, cuff and fastening preferences for gowns
• Any barrier documentation your infection-control team requires
• Marking and labelling requirements
• Laundry and CSSD sign-off on the specification
• A sample trial plan before bulk

Getting a quotation

If you are building or replacing a stock of reusable theatre textiles, send your item list, drawings and quantities through our contact page, or see the options on our OT gowns and drapes page. MISHAREN will confirm fabric, documentation and lead time in the quotation.