Effectiveness of topical gentamicin in preventing surgical site infections during hernia mesh repair: experience from developing countries.

Background: Recently, mesh repair has become a standard treatment for inguinal and ventral hernial disease worldwide. Consequently, mesh-related complications have increased, especially superficial site infections. This study aimed to determine the role of topical gentamicin in reducing superficial surgical site infection.

Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional, comparative, hospital-based study conducted between July 2022 and March 2023. Patients who underwent elective mesh repair for inguinal or para-umbilical hernia were reviewed. Participants were divided into two groups: the control group (G1), which did not receive topical gentamicin, and the study group (G2), which received topical gentamicin. The surgical site was examined on the 1st, 7th, and 30th postoperative days for signs of infection according to the definitions provided by the Centers for Disease Control Control.

Results: A total of 197 fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The infection rate in all study participants (N = 197) was 4.5%. A total of (n = 9) 4.5% SSIs occurred among the 197 patients, with 3.5% (n = 7) in G1 and 1% (n = 2) in G2 (Table 2). Four patients (2.0%) developed a hematoma, all of whom had an inguinal hernia. Three of these patients developed SSI, with two in G1 and one in G2 All infections observed were superficial surgical infections (SSI); No statistical significance was ruled out.

Conclusion: Our study sheds light on the use of topical gentamicin in preventing early SSIs following hernia and para-umbilical mesh repair surgery in developing countries. There are no significant differences when using topical gentamicin to prevent surgical site infections.