Metronidazole for Prevention of Pelvic Cellulitis and Abscess after Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: A Triple-blinded, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine whether a postoperative 5-day treatment schedule with vaginal metronidazole added to conventional antibiotic prophylaxis with 2 g cefazolin modifies the risk of pelvic cellulitis (PC) and pelvic abscess (PA) after total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH).

DESIGN

A randomized, controlled, triple-blind, multicenter clinical trial.

SETTING

Two centers dedicated to minimally invasive gynecologic surgery in Colombia.

PATIENTS

A total of 574 patients were taken to TLH because of benign diseases.

INTERVENTION

Patients taken to TLH were divided into 2 groups (treatment group, cefazolin 2 g intravenous single dose before surgery + metronidazole vaginal ovules for 5 days postoperatively, control group: cefazolin 2 g intravenous single dose + placebo vaginal ovules for 5 days postoperatively).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The absolute frequency (AF) of PC and PA and their relationship with the presence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) were measured. There was no difference in AF of PC (AF, 2/285 [0.7%] vs 5/284 [1.7%] in the treatment and placebo groups, respectively; risk ratio, 1.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-5.65; p = .261), nor for PA (AF, 0/285 [0%] vs 2/289 [0.7%]; p = .159, in the treatment and placebo groups, respectively). The incidence of BV was higher in the metronidazole group than the placebo group (42.5% vs 33.4%, p = .026).

CONCLUSION

The use of vaginal metronidazole ovules during the first 5 days in postoperative TLH added to conventional cefazolin prophylaxis does not prevent the development of PC or PA, regardless of the patient's diagnosis of BV.