Effectiveness of Postoperative Antibiotics in Orthognathic Surgery: A Meta-Analysis

PurposeTo conduct a systematic review of published clinical trials on the effectiveness of extended postoperative antibiotics in orthognathic surgery.Materials and MethodsElectronic databases were searched for randomized clinical trials. Data from relevant articles were extracted and assessed. The primary outcome variable was surgical site infection. Extracted data were analyzed using a meta-analytical program with a random effects model.ResultsIn total 532 patients were assessed in 8 clinical trials. Wound infection occurred in 30 of 268 patients in the short-term prophylaxis group (frequency, 11.2%) and in 10 of 264 patients in the extended-term group (frequency, 3.8%). Extended antibiotic therapy was more effective in decreasing the risk of postoperative wound infection (odds ratio, 3.2; number needed to treat, 13.5).ConclusionExtended postoperative antibiotic treatment does have a place in decreasing the risk of postoperative wound infection in orthognathic surgery. More trials are needed to standardize a proper regimen.