operations

[sholay]

why do anaesthetists put tape over your eyes when you have an operation?

Also, why do they put something with a hole in the middle of it around the area to be operated on?

nothing important - just been bugging me

[joko]

they use tape to stop your eyes drying out when your not blinking - i expect its a bit unnerving to have theses unseeing eyes looking at you while you are operation.

I think the sheet is just for modesty, as it could be off putting to the surgeons and crew if you're lying their with your bits out - also hygiene, if the the surgeons are leaning and touching other areas so they can't transfer germs from say the leg to the stomach or something - and perhaps it helps with extra warmth

these are just likely possibilities so i'd like to know if there is any other reason too

[Eels]

Yeah, the thing with the hole in is a drape to preserve a sterile area for the operation.

[Impret-Sir]

re the eye tape, the drying out thing is correct, but its also very easy for cleaning fluids etc to splash into the eye during the op, or the corner of a drape, or anything in the air, to get in there, without any blink reflex the eye would not be able to get rid, and the staff may not notice, we would all be looking elsewhere, so the eye could be damaged.

[sholay]

You know, when I think about it, the tape-the-eyelids-down one is actually quite obvious!

Thanks!