 Esmarch bandage

Esmarch bandage (also known as Esmarch's bandage for surgical haemostasis or Esmarch's tourniquet) in its modern form is a narrow (5 to 10 cm wide) soft rubber bandage that is used to expel venous blood from a limb (exsanguinate) that has had its arterial supply cut off by a tourniquet.The limb is often elevated as the elastic pressure is applied.The exsanguination is necessary to enable some types of delicate reconstructive surgery where bleeding would obscure the working area.