Abstract
The use of prophylactic antibiotics in surgery has been debated for numerous years. Although their indications have been elucidated in the general surgery literature, their role in plastic surgery has yet to be clearly defined. Although the incidence of surgical site infections in clean, elective plastic surgery procedures has been reported to be as low as 1.1%, the use of antibiotics has surged over the past 20 years. Much of the increased use has been attributed to common surgical practice and fear of legal ramifications rather than empirically based data. In contrast, there remain numerous physicians who argue against routine antibiotic use in plastic surgery. This article summarizes the recent literature on infection prophylaxis and advises physicians to consider relative risks and benefits when deciding which patients should receive prophylactic antibiotics.
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