Prophylactic Antibiotics for Elective Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Surgical site infections with elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy are less frequent and less severe, leading some to suggest that prophylactic antibiotics (PA) are no longer indicated. We compared the incidence of surgical site infections before and after an institutional practice change of withholding PA for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Between May 7, 2013, and March 11, 2015, no PA were given to patients selected for elective cholecystectomy by two surgeons at a single center. The only patients excluded were those who received antibiotics before surgery for any reason. All others, including those at high risk for infection, were included. The incidence and severity of infections were compared with historical controls treated with prophylaxis by the same two surgeons from November 6, 2011, to January 13, 2013. There were 268 patients in the study group and 119 patients in the control group. Infection occurred in 3.0 per cent in the study group compared with 0.9 per cent in the controls (P = 0.29). All infections were mild except one. Based on these data, the routine use of PA for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy is not supported.