Perioperative Antibiotic Choice and Urinary Tract Infections in Prolapse Surgery

IMPORTANCE: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common yet preventable complications after pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare hospital-based postoperative UTI rates among patients undergoing POP surgery by perioperative antibiotic regimen received: cefazolin (C), gentamicin + clindamycin (GC), or cefazolin + metronidazole (CM). STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of patients undergoing POP surgery from 2000 to 2022 using a U.S. national database. The primary outcome was UTIs within 30 days postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included emergency department (ED) visits, inpatient admissions, and UTIs within 90 days postoperatively. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was performed to balance on potential confounding preoperative characteristics. RESULTS: Of 166,673 POP surgery patients, 3.0% (n=4,953) were diagnosed with a 30-day postoperative UTI. The UTI rate differed by perioperative antibiotic regimen: C 2.9% (n=4,197), CM 2.5% (n=295), and GC 3.8% (n=461), P