Why do surgeons wear blue or green uniforms?

The choice is not random

One of the most characteristic work uniforms is that of surgeons whose color is blue or green. And yet this choice of color is by no means accidental.

In the past, surgeons' uniforms were originally white - the color of cleanliness. But in the early 20th century, a doctor decided to change it to green because he thought it would be better for the surgeon's eyes. Green is thought to help doctors see better in the operating room and be more observant because it is the opposite of red in the spectrum of visible light. Green could help doctors see better for two reasons.

First, by looking at blue or green, a surgeon can refresh his vision from red, including the viscera and blood he sees in surgery. "Looking at something green occasionally makes the eye more sensitive to red changes, so the doctor is more attentive to his patient," said John Werner, a psychologist at the University of California.

Second, the color white can "blind" surgeons if they turn their gaze from the dark color of blood to white clothes, as when one looks at the sun's reflections on a white surface. "Furthermore, when doctors focus on red and suddenly raise their head against a white background, they will see green reflections there. "But if it sees a green or blue background then these reflections are reduced and distracted," said Paola Bressan of Padua University.