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.