Preoperative oral antibiotics with versus without mechanical bowel preparation to reduce surgical site infections following colonic resection: Protocol for an international randomized controlled trial (ORALEV2)

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common after colonic surgery. SSIs can cause relevant morbidity and increase costs of care. Preoperative oral antibiotics can reduce the incidence of SSIs after resection of the colon, but the role of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) is debated. This study aims to assess the impact of a combined regimen of oral antibiotics and MBP on SSIs after colonic surgery.