Role of antibiotic prophylaxis in retropubic surgery for stress urinary incontinence.

The effectiveness of prophylactic antibiotics was studied prospectively in 26 women undergoing retropubic urethropexy for genuine stress incontinence. Each of the 14 patients in the antibiotic prophylaxis group received three 1-g doses of intravenous cefazolin administered before, during, and 6-8 hours after surgery. Twelve women served as a control group and did not receive prophylactic antibiotics. Postoperative febrile morbidity and hospital stay were significantly less (P less than .01 and P less than .05, respectively) in patients who received prophylactic antibiotics.