A major problem in obstetric and gynecological surgery, especially following cesarean section in labor, total vaginal or abdominal hysterectomy, or myomectomy, is postoperative wound infection. Consequently, the use of antimicrobial prophylaxis for cesarean section and for gynecological surgery has been advocated and shown to be effective in reducing postoperative morbidity, costs and duration of hospitalization. We reviewed 1021 patients who underwent cesarean section (597 elective, 424 emergency) and 814 gynecological patients undergoing abdominal (373) or vaginal (248) hysterectomy and myomectomy (193) between 1997-98 in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic of the University of Florence. Before surgery 83.6% of obstetric and 75.1% of gynecological patients received 1 or 2 g of a first or second generation cephalosporin i.v. as a single-dose regimen at induction of anesthesia and sometimes a second postoperative dose. 1.5% of obstetric surgical patients had wound infection, as did 2.8% of gynecological surgery patients, with a mean postoperative hospital stay of 8 days. The short-term perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis with cephalosporins is useful and provides the benefit of minimal toxicity and risk of chemoresistance.