Postoperative Antibiotics Do Not Prevent Surgical Site Infections After Routine Ophthalmic Soft Tissue Surgeries in...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary ophthalmology
• Surgical outcomes
• Infectious disease

Background:

• Surgical site infections (SSI) are a common complication in veterinary surgery.
• The use of prophylactic antibiotics is a standard practice in human and veterinary medicine to prevent SSI.
• The efficacy of postoperative antibiotics in reducing SSI following routine ophthalmic soft tissue surgeries in dogs is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) in dogs undergoing routine ophthalmic soft tissue surgeries.
• To determine if postoperative antibiotics (systemic or topical) reduce SSI rates compared to no antibiotic use.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of clinical records for dogs undergoing enucleations, wedge resections, medial canthoplasties, and eyelid surgeries.
• Inclusion criteria included at least 3 months of follow-up.
• SSI were identified by discharge or wound dehiscence and graded using the Clavien-Dindo classification.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in SSI rates was found between dogs receiving postoperative antibiotics and those that did not.
• Brachycephalic phenotype and high body weight were associated with increased SSI risk in specific eyelid surgeries.
• Most SSIs were low-grade (1 or 2), but some required surgical intervention (grade 3b).

Conclusions:

• Postoperative antibiotics (systemic or topical) did not reduce SSI incidence in dogs undergoing these ophthalmic procedures.
• The high SSI rates in medial canthoplasties and eyelid surgeries suggest a need to re-evaluate pre-, peri-, and postoperative protocols.
• Suture material selection and wound cleaning routines may play a crucial role in SSI prevention.