Sterile surgical drapes are used during surgery to prevent contact with unprepared surfaces and to maintain the sterility of environmental surfaces, equipment, and the patient's surroundings.
Adhesive plastic incise drapes, plain or impregnated with an antimicrobial agent (mostly an iodophor), are used on the patient's skin after surgical site preparation. The film adheres to the skin, and the surgeon cuts through it and the drape itself.