What type of handwashing does a surgeon perform before operating on a patient and putting on sterile gloves?

The type of handwashing that a surgeon performs before operating on a patient and donning sterile gloves is referred to as antiseptic handwashing. This method is critical in a surgical setting as it involves the use of antimicrobial agents to significantly reduce the number of pathogens on the skin.

Antiseptic handwashing typically includes the use of specific antiseptic solutions or soaps that not only clean the hands but also provide residual antimicrobial effects after the wash. This is essential to minimize the risk of infections during surgery, as any contaminants on the surgeon's hands can potentially be transferred to the surgical site.

In contrast, other types of handwashing, such as non-antiseptic handwashing, does not involve antimicrobial agents and therefore would not be effective in a surgical context. Alcohol-based handwashing is indeed effective for many situations, but it typically does not involve the prolonged scrubbing and rinsing associated with surgical antiseptic protocols. Routine handwashing is geared towards general hygiene and does not provide the same level of protection against specific pathogens that antiseptic handwashing does, making it unsuitable for surgical preparations.