DE2548858

A surgical drape of the invention has a main sheet having a pressure sensitive adhesive on its top and bottom surfaces. The adhesive on the bottom surface extends over at least the major portion of that surface and serves to secure the drape to a patient, thereby providing a sterile surgical field and preventing migration of bacteria to or from an incision site along a path between the drape and the skin of the patient. The adhesive on the top surface of the drape extends over a limited area of that surface convenient to the incision site and serves as an anchoring means to which additional surgical drapes, towels, and the like may be secured. The exposed faces of the pressure sensitive adhesive on the bottom and top surfaces of the drape are covered with nonadhesive, removably adhered protective covering sheets to facilitate packaging and handling prior to use of the drape on a patient. These protective covering sheets are commonly referred to as "release sheets.