Do new surgeons have higher surgical-site infection rates?

We compared class I surgical-site infection (SSI) rates for new and experie nced surgeons. Data showed that new surgeons in two surgical subspecialties associated with higher baseline SSI rates had rates higher than their expe rienced colleagues. They took longer in the operating room (OR), but did no t operate on sicker patients. As the surgeons gained more experience (as me asured by cumulative cases), their OR times and SSI rates decreased toward their colleagues'. New surgeons who perform infection-prone surgery may hav e higher SSI rates than more experienced colleagues until they gain experie nce. A new surgeon's SSI rate could be one factor considered in assessing c ompetence.