Environmental surfaces in operating rooms (e. g., tables, floors) are rarely implicated as the sources of pathogens important in the development of surgical site infections (SSIs). Nevertheless, it is important to perform routine cleaning of these surfaces to reestablish a clean environment after each operation. There are no data to support routine disinfecting of environmental surfaces or equipment between operations in the absence of contamination or visible soiling. When visible soiling of surfaces or equipment occurs during an operation, hospital disinfectant should be used to decontaminate the affected areas before the next operation. A preoperative antiseptic shower or bath decreases skin microbial colony counts. But they have not definitively been shown to reduce SSI rates. Many SSI prevention techniques are directed at reducing opportunities for microbial contamination of the patient's tissues or sterile surgical instruments; others are adjunctive, such as using antimicrobial prophylaxis or avoiding unnecessary traumatic tissue dissection. Optimum application of SSI prevention measures requires that a variety of patient and operation characteristics be carefully considered.