Approximately 250 million surgical procedures are performed worldwide every year. Most of these procedures lead to good results and an improvement in patient health, but unfortunately not all have such positive outcomes. Surgical site infections (SSI) have a significant clinical and economic impact. SSIs could be prevented by adopting adequate surveillance systems and prevention programs. These programs can contribute to increase awareness of the risk factors and possible improvement actions through the reporting and careful assessment of all infections related to care and therefore subject to reporting and analysis with audits of significant events or mortality and morbidity review. Infection prevention and control can further develop formative peer assessment of infection prevention practices and evaluation control according to clear and measurable standards by management. Clinical surveillance and advanced epidemiological investigations with the support of state-of-the-art information technology systems make it possible to promptly alert healthcare professionals and management to the presence of a case of healthcare-associated infection or an emerging germ and to analyze trends at a territorial or organizational level.