From the Guidelines
Antibiotic ointment should not be placed on a post-operative laparoscopic incision with mild drainage unless specifically instructed by your surgeon. The standard recommendation is to keep the incision clean and dry, as mild drainage is often normal in the first few days after surgery and typically consists of clear or slightly blood-tinged fluid 1. To care for the incision, gently clean it with mild soap and water once daily, pat it dry with a clean towel, and either leave it open to air or cover it with a clean, dry dressing if drainage continues.
Some key points to consider when caring for a post-operative incision include:
- Keeping the incision clean and dry to promote healing
- Avoiding the use of antibiotic ointment unless specifically instructed by your surgeon, as it can trap moisture and potentially delay healing 1
- Monitoring for signs of infection, such as increased drainage, changes in color or odor, or increased redness, warmth, pain, or swelling
- Following your surgeon's specific post-operative care instructions, as they may vary based on your particular procedure and medical history
It's also important to note that the use of antibiotic ointment is not recommended for surgical site infections unless there are systemic signs of infection, such as erythema and induration extending >5 cm from the wound edge, temperature >38.5°C, heart rate >110 beats/minute, or white blood cell (WBC) count >12 000/µL 1. In these cases, a brief course of systemic antimicrobial therapy may be indicated, and the choice of antibiotic should be guided by the suspected or confirmed causative organism.
From the Research
Antibiotic Ointment on Post-Op Lap Incision
- The use of antibiotic ointment on a post-op lap incision with mild drainage is a topic of interest in wound management and infection prevention 2, 3, 4.
- Studies have shown that topical triple-antibiotic ointment is a safe and effective agent for preventing infections in minor skin trauma, and it may be an attractive alternative to oral therapy in select circumstances 2.
- A prospective evaluation of topical antibiotics found that the use of topical antibiotics resulted in significantly lower infection rates than did the use of a petrolatum control, with bacitracin zinc and neomycin sulfate-bacitracin zinc-polymyxin B sulfate combination having the lowest wound infection rates 3.
- Another study found that a newly formulated topical triple-antibiotic ointment minimized scarring in dermabrasion wounds, and was superior to simple gauze-type dressing alone in minimizing the scarring observed in dermabrasion wounds 4.
- However, it is essential to consider the specific circumstances of each patient and the potential risks and benefits of using antibiotic ointment on a post-op lap incision with mild drainage, as clinical decisions must still be made even in the absence of full and secure knowledge 5.
- The effectiveness of oral antibiotic prophylaxis in preventing surgical site infections in elective colorectal surgery has also been studied, with results suggesting that oral neomycin and bacitracin are effective in preventing surgical site infections 6.