Background: The use of antibiotic prophylaxis during Lichtenstein inguinal hernia surgery is controversial, and no definitive guidelines are available in literature. Objective: To determine effects of prophylactic antibiotics in reducing the frequency of postoperative wound infection in Lichtenstein hernia repair. Study Design: Case control study. Setting: Surgical Unit II, Allied Hospital, Faisalabad. Duration: One year, between January 2007 and December 2007. Methods: Patients undergoing unilateral, primary inguinal hernia repairelectively with the Lichtenstein technique using polypropylene mesh were randomized to receive 1.0 g intravenous Cefazolin before the incision or an equal volume of placebo. Wound infection was defined according to the criteria of Centers for Disease Control and recorded. Results were assessed using chi-square test. Results: 100 patients were included in the study. Minimum age of patients in this study was 20 and maximum 75 years with a mean of 44.06 in group A and 44.84 in group B. The total number of wound infections was 7 (7%); 2 (4%) in the antibiotic prophylaxis group and 5 (10%) in the placebo group. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in the number of wound infections in both groups (p value=0.240). Conclusions: We conclude that in Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair routine use of prophylactic antibiotics is not needed, as it does not significantly reduce the postoperative wound infection rates.
POST OPERATIVE WOUND INFECTION
