Should Antibiotic Prophylaxis Be Given Prior to Thyroidectomy or Parathyroidectomy

Although thyroid and parathyroid operations are very commonly performed, until recently there has been very little evidence to inform the decision of whether or not preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis should be given. It is interesting to note that while most surgeons would agree that clean operations that do not involve prosthetic implants do not generally require antibiotic prophylaxis, most endocrine surgeons give their patients preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis always or nearly always.