Is there an indication for general perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in laparoscopic hernioplasty with implantation of alloplastic meshes?

The implantation of alloplastic material in laparoscopically operated groin hernias is usually connected with perioperative prophylaxis by antibiotics. We doubted the usefulness of the genereal application in these operations. Therefore we made a prospective randomized study in 80 patients, beginning since April 1996. 40 of them received perioperatively antibiotics, other 40 ones remained without antibiotics. These 80 patients underwent an unilateral hernioplasty and were without major anaesthesiologic risk. Both the groups were statistically comparable. As a result, no patient of both the groups suffered from an infectious complication. Thus, we can recommend the laparoscopic implantation of alloplastic meshes in "simple hernias" without perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. In risk patients, antibiotics should still given further.