Evaluating the Impact of Reusable Gowns on Postoperative Infection Rates in Hand Surgery

Historically, there have been concerns that reusable gowns may increase post operative infection rate, though more recent literature does not support this. The Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre’s (SOTC) hand unit introduced reusable gowns in hand surgery and evaluated infection rates before and after implementation. Their adoption could provide economic and environmental benefits for the NHS.