The Efficacy of Postoperative Prophylactic Antibiotics in Orthognathic Surgery: A Prospective Study in Le Fort I Osteotomy and Bilateral Intraoral Vertical Ramus Osteotomy

PURPOSE This study examined the efficacy of the postoperative prophylactic antibiotics used in orthognathic surgery. The prevalence of surgical site infections (SSIs) was determined according to the use of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-six patients were divided into 2 groups. Each patient intravenously received 1.0 g of a third-generation cephalosporin (Cefpiramide) 30 minutes before surgery. Among them, 28 patients in the control group received 1.0 g Cefpiramide twice daily until the third day after surgery. The postoperative wounds were examined regularly for the presence of infectious signs. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative wound infections between patients who had received postoperative prophylactic antibiotic administration and those who had not (p = 0.639). CONCLUSION Prolonged prophylactic antibiotic use after orthognathic surgery may not be necessary, provided that there are no other significant factors for wound infections.