Are post-operative oral antibiotics required after orbital floor fracture repair?

PURPOSE: To report the rate of post-operative infection in a cohort of 21 patients who underwent repair of orbital blowout fractures and did not receive post-operative oral antibiotics.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was performed to identify all patients who underwent repair of isolated orbital blowout fractures and did not receive post-operative oral antibiotics. The age, gender, duration of follow-up, and post-operative status were assessed.

RESULTS

153 patients (93 males, 60 females) were identified who met the study criteria. All patients were seen at least three months after their surgery, and the mean follow up period was 165.3 days (standard deviation = 111.7 days). No patient developed a post-operative infection.

CONCLUSIONS

In this cohort of patients who underwent orbital floor fracture repair and did not receive oral post-operative antibiotics, no infectious complications were identified. The routine use of these medications may not be necessary.