ObjectiveTo investigate the current status of preoperative skin preparation in abdominal surgery in China, and put forward suggestions for improvement. MethodsFrom April to May, 2016, 187 secondary and above hospitals in China were selected, questionnaires were used to investigate the methods for hair removal, skin disinfection on operative field, and application of surgical adhesive drape in abdominal surgery. ResultsA total of 187 hospitals in 14 provinces were investigated, of which 108 and 79 were tertiary and secondary hospitals respectively.  87.70% of hospitals performed conventional preoperative hair removal in abdominal surgery, the percentage of conventional depilation in secondary hospitals was higher than tertiary hospitals（93.67% vs 83.33%, χ2=4.520，P=0.033）. 85.98% of hospitals selected bladeshaving, 7.93% and 23.78% applied chemical depilation and electric depilation respectively. Most hospitals (98.17%) performed skin preparation in the wards, mainly by ward nurses (98.17%), and conducted on the day of surgery (56.10%). 86.63%, 29.95%, and 3.74% of hospitals used iodophor, iodine plus alcohol, and chlorhexidine respectively for disinfecting skin on operative field.  92.51% of hospitals used skin incision/surgical adhesive drape (74.57% used selectively). ConclusionMost hospitals in China conventionally perform preoperative hair removal in abdominal surgery, and the primary method for depilation is bladeshaving, nearly half of the hospitals performed depilation on the day of surgery. Iodophor is the major skin antiseptic, surgical adhesive drape is widely used, but it is utilized in limited types of surgery.