Let's Talk About Surgical Site Infections

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are infections in the skin where an incision is made, infections below the incision in muscles and tissues and infections in deep organ spaces surrounding parts of the body involved in the surgery. Despite established guidelines and known risk factors, SSIs continue to be a common and costly issue in every type and class of surgical procedure. In fact, SSI are the most common SSIs are the most common and costly of all hospital-acquired infections. SSI incidence is directly related to higher mortality, re-intervention, and increased length of hospital stay. In the United States alone, an estimated 300,000 SSI occur annually at a cost of $10 billion. However, they are a global burden, with substantially higher SSI incidence in Low and Middle Income Countries. Thus, there is both an opportunity and an imperative to reduce SSI worldwide. In this episode of the AIS Channel Colorectal Surgical Journeys series, we bring together a group of experts to discuss the current state, known methods, and future possibilities for reducing SSI and improving the associated healthcare outcomes after surgery.

Clinical Background

1. Welcome and Introduction - Dr. Debby Keller (USA)

Technique Description