The role of prophylactic antibiotics to prevent surgical wound infection (SWI) in the management of maxillofacial fractures is controversial. We carried out a retrospective study in 67 patients with 114 maxillofacial fractures, of which 9 patients each were in group 1 (no antibiotic) and group 3 (cefotaxime) and 49 in group 2 (penicillin). We had an overall SWI rate of 16.66%, of which 3 of group 1 (33.33%), 12 of group 2 (24.48%), and 2 of group 3 (22.22%) constituted the SWIs. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the infection rates. A strong positive correlation was found between infection rate and the delay in treatment, and a similar correlation was found in the use of catgut and SWI. Our study suggests that prophylactic antibiotic therapy may not alter the incidence of surgical wound infection.

TAR trended toward lower morbidity (38.2% vs 16.7%, p¼0.08) but exhibited similar SSO (3.9% vs 4.2%, p¼1.0). Length of stay was shorter after robot-assisted TAR (6.5 vs 3.5 days, p¼0.01).