Evaluating the Efficacy of Antibiotic Prophylaxis during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy on Surgical Site Infection: A Randomized Clinical Study

Background: There is a growing need for further study on the variables impacting the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) due to the shifting criteria and the inconsistent, often completely contradicting findings. The purpose of this study is to examine how prophylactic antibiotics can lower surgical site infections (SSIs) in lowrisk individuals after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Methods: In this clinical trial, 120 patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy as per the inclusion criteria. Between March 2025 to August 2025, within the Department of General Surgery at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, Muzaffarpur, Bihar individuals slated for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were systematically allocated into two distinct groups: one receiving prophylactic antibiotics and the other not. The principal outcome measured was the incidence of postoperative infectious complications. Data were analyzed in SPSS (Version. 23) software using Mann-Whitney, t-test, Fisher's Exact, and Chi-square tests. The level of significance was set to P <0.05. Results: A total of 120 patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy; these patients were split into two groups: 59 received preoperative prophylactic antibiotics (Antibiotic Group, AG) and 61 did not (No Antibiotic Group, NAG). Clinical characteristics such as gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and operating times did not differ significantly between the two groups. There was no significant overall difference in the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) across the groups (P=0.679), with two patients (3.4%) in the AG and four patients (6.7%) in the NAG. Patients with and without SSI had identical preoperative circumstances, as seen by the study's lack of significant changes in preoperative WBC, hemoglobin, or creatinine levels. Conclusion: During laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LCC), our study's results showed no significant differences between individuals who received prophylactic antibiotics and those who did not. Thus, prophylactic antibiotic use in elective LCC is not necessary for low-risk patients.