Wound infections are common and serious complications of anesthesia and surgery. Even in patients who are kept normothermic and given supplemental oxygen, the incidence of wound infection after colon resection exceeds 5%. About 80% of these resections are done for colon cancer, the third leading cause of cancer death. The average surgical wound infection prolongs hospitalization by a week and substantially increases cost. Major factors influencing the incidence of surgical wound infection include the site and complexity of surgery, underlying illness (including treatment with immunosuppressive drugs), timely administration of prophylactic antibiotics, intraoperative patient temperature, hypovolemia, and tissue oxygen tension.