The purpose of this study is to determine whether the gentamicin-collagen sponge is safe and effective for preventing surgical wound infections in patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

Surgical wound infection (SWI) is a significant problem in colorectal surgery. Despite the use of routine bowel preparation and prophylactic antibiotics the incidence of SWI is at least 15% in patients undergoing colorectal surgical procedures.Therefore, there is a long unmet need for an intervention that can reduce the incidence and severity of SWIs in patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

Gentamicin is an antibiotic that is effective in treating certain kinds of infection. Collagen is a protein that is found in all mammals. The gentamicin-collagen sponge is a thin flat sponge made out of collagen that comes from cow tendons and containing gentamicin. When inserted into a surgical site, the collagen breaks down and the gentamicin is released at the site but very little is absorbed into the blood stream. The high levels of antibiotic at the surgical site may prevent an infection at the surgical site.

Outside of the United States more than 3,500 subjects have received treatment in clinical studies with the gentamicin-collagen sponge, primarily for orthopedic, intraabdominal, and cardiothoracic surgeries or wound infections following surgical procedures or traumatic events.

In this study, all subjects will be given treatment that is normally given to prevent surgical infections. For subjects randomly assigned to the gentamicin-collagen sponge treatment group, 2 sponges will be inserted into the surgical wound immediately before the surgeon closes it. The control group will receive no collagen sponge.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Scheduled to undergo nonemergent colon and/or rectal surgical procedures involving a laparotomy incision of at least 7 cm in length or greater. List of eligible procedures: Left Hemicolectomy, Transverse Colectomy, Segmental/Sleeve Left Colon Resection, Total Abdominal Colectomy With Ileorectal Anastomosis, Total Abdominal Colectomy With Ileostomy, Total Abdominal Proctocolectomy (Portion Of Specimen To Be Extracted Via Laparotomy), Low Anterior Resection, Sigmoid Resection, Non-Emergent Hartmann's Procedure, Colotomy With Polypectomy Distal To Hepatic Flexure, Colostomy Takedown Through Laparotomy (Not Peristomal) Incision, Ileo-Pouch Anal Anastomosis, Abdominal Perineal Resection of the Rectum
• Have the capacity to understand and sign an informed consent form.
• Are male or female and > 18 years of age.
• If female, be postmenopausal (no menstrual period for a minimum of 1 year), or surgically sterilized (does not have a uterus or has had bilateral tubal ligation). Females of child-bearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test on entry in the study, and agree to use adequate birth control during the study and for 60 days after the administration of study agent.
• Agree to be available for evaluation from baseline until final evaluation at 60 days postsurgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known history of hypersensitivity to gentamicin or bovine collagen.
• Undergoing emergency surgery (urgent surgery is allowed if informed consent is obtained and the study procedures can be performed). Emergency surgery includes cases where standard bowel preparation and other preoperative assessments cannot be done.
• Undergoing a significant concomitant surgical procedure (e.g., hysterectomy). The following concomitant procedures are allowed: appendectomy, cholecystectomy, oophorectomy, liver biopsy/wedge resection (but not liver resection).
• Undergoing a laparoscopic, laparoscopic-assisted, or other minimally invasive surgical approach involving a laparotomy incision less than 7 cm.
• History of prior laparotomy within the last 60 days of this planned procedure.
• Planned to undergo a second laparotomy or colorectal surgical procedure (e.g. colostomy or ileostomy takedown) within 60 days of this planned first procedure.
• Evidence preoperatively of any of the following: sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock (note that SIRS alone is not an exclusion criterion)
• Current abdominal wall infection/surgical site infection from previous laparotomy/laparoscopy or for any reason.
• Receiving antibiotic therapy within the 1 week prior to the date of surgery.
• Preoperative evaluation suggests intra-abdominal process that might preclude full closure of the skin.
• History of ongoing treatment (e.g. chemotherapy, radiation) for non-colorectal cancer.
• Recent history of significant drug or alcohol abuse.
• Preoperative prothrombin time (PT) > 1.5 times upper limit of normal
• Pregnant, lactating, or of childbearing potential not practicing a birth control method with a high degree of reliability
• Postsurgical life expectancy ≤ 60 days, in the investigator's or sponsor's opinion.
• Refusal to accept medically indicated blood products.
• Previous participation in this or any other active Innocoll Gentamicin-Collagen Sponge study.
• Participation within 30 days before the start of this study in any experimental drug or device study, or currently participating in a study in which the administration of investigational drug or device within 60 days is anticipated.
• Surgeon does not believe that it will be possible to insert 2 sponges above the fascia in the patient (e.g. in a very thin patient planned to have a small incision)
• Patients with anterior abdominal wall mesh that is not planned to be completely removed during the planned procedure.
• Presence of prosthetic cardiac valve.