Despite decades of attention and advances in medical treatments, surgical site infections (SSI) remain a significant problem to our patients. Surprisingly, the reported incidence of SSI has not changed appreciably in the past five decades, although not surprisingly the timing to diagnosis (inpatient vs. outpatient) has changed. Although the patient consequences have not escaped our notice, until recently the costs associated with SSI have been difficult to ascertain. In this review, we discuss the relevant history of SSI monitoring, the incidence as well as the costs and consequences associated with this complication.
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