Nonwoven fabrics have been central in shaping clinical environments that are now safer, cleaner and more predictable than at any point in surgical history.
Their rise in modern operating theatres – primarily as spunmelt fabrics and laminates – is tied not only to advances in fibre science and manufacturing but also to the steadily intensifying demands of infection control, supply chain resilience and sustainability.
Barrier protection
The primary strength of nonwoven fabrics here lies in their ability to deliver consistent barrier protection. Unlike woven textiles – where yarn movement can create unpredictable pore structure – spunmelt nonwovens are engineered through controlled processes with uniform density and filtration characteristics. This precision allows them to block microorganisms and fluid penetration with remarkable efficiency, forming the foundation of sterile gowns, drapes and instrument wraps. In a setting where each variable must be tightly managed, the inherent repeatability of nonwoven production provides hospitals with a level of assurance that traditional textiles cannot match.
It is not only protection, however, that has driven their adoption. Comfort has increasingly become a performance parameter in its own right, with surgeons expecting garments that support long procedures without compromising concentration. Nonwoven fabrics can be tailored to balance breathability and resistance, creating lightweight gowns that help regulate body temperature while maintaining sterility. Layered composites – often combining spunbond and meltblown structures – offer soft inner surfaces against the skin combined with durable outer layers that withstand the abrasion and handling stresses of the theatre. This results in materials that feel unobtrusive during surgery yet perform with quiet reliability throughout procedures.
Single-use advantages
Another defining advantage is the single-use format. While reusable woven systems once dominated, concerns about laundering efficiency, fabric degradation and cross contamination have shifted many hospitals towards disposable solutions. Nonwoven products arrive sterile and ready for immediate use, eliminating the uncertainties of repeated washing and sterilisation. This streamlines theatre logistics, reduces turnaround times between operations and helps infection control teams maintain tighter oversight of hygiene protocols. The predictability of nonwoven disposables has become especially valuable in busy surgical centres, where any disruption to workflow can cascade through tightly scheduled operating lists.
Sterilisation
Nonwovens also support an increasingly sophisticated approach to instrument management. Sterilisation wraps crafted from finely engineered fibres protect surgical tools from environmental contaminants during storage and transport, maintaining sterility right up to the moment they are opened on the theatre table. These wraps resist tears and punctures while allowing the steam penetration and air removal required for effective autoclaving. The balance between strength and permeability is critical, and it is precisely this kind of nuanced performance that nonwoven technologies handle so well.
For operations, customised procedure trays are assembled to contain everything required for a specific surgical intervention from a range of up to 5,000 single-use components, with many components in the pack individually wrapped in nonwovens. Replacing a large number of separately packaged items, the procedure trays can generate significant savings in time and costs for both major and minor surgery procedures. Preparation time for surgical procedures can be cut by more than 50% compared to the traditional preparation of the operation room.
Efficiency
Sustainability has emerged as a pressing theme within healthcare, and while single-use products in general invite scrutiny, the industry is responding with greater material efficiency, recycling initiatives and the development of biodegradable polymers.
Advances in polyolefin chemistry, bio-based fibres and closed-loop waste systems are gradually reshaping the environmental footprint of nonwoven medical products.
An increasing number of the fibre and raw materials suppliers and nonwovens manufacturers exhibiting at INDEX™26 in Geneva, for example, are now opting for ISCC PLUS certification for bio-based feedstocks. These include BASF, ExxonMobil, Indorama Ventures, Magnera, Saudi German Nonwovens and Teijin Frontier.
Such developments signal a clear shift towards a future in which the benefits of disposability need not conflict with broader ecological responsibilities.
Ultimately, the use of nonwoven fabrics in operating theatres reflects a wider trend in healthcare – the move towards precisely engineered materials that combine performance with predictability and the formation of a protective architecture that supports every aspect of the surgical environment.
Conformability
Nonwovens are also utilised in wound care products such as dressings, bandages and surgical sponges, with their high absorbency and breathability contributing to exudate management and promoting a moist wound healing environment, while preventing infection. Additionally, nonwoven dressings can be impregnated with antimicrobial agents to enhance their protective capabilities, and their softness and conformability ensures they can be comfortably applied to various wound types and locations.
By delivering reliable barriers, enhancing comfort, simplifying logistics and evolving towards more sustainable solutions, nonwovens have become integral to the delivery of safe, modern surgery.
Source: INDEX