Routine surgeries are getting riskier as antibiotic resistance grows, surgeons warn. Without working antibiotics, even common procedures could lead to life-threatening infections. Doctors say antibiotics remain crucial to prevent surgical site infections, but overuse has driven resistance. Hospitals are now tightening antibiotic use and prioritizing infection prevention. “Whether it’s an appendix or gall bladder surgery, resistant infections mean more complications and longer hospital stays,” said Dr. Amarchand Bajaj of Sitaram Bhartia Institute. WHO data shows up to 11% of surgical patients in low and middle-income countries develop surgical site infections. The WHO recommends a single pre-surgery antibiotic dose in most cases, not days of antibiotics afterward. Yet the idea that “more antibiotics are better” persists. “Every unnecessary dose fuels resistance,” Bajaj said.Hospitals are also battling drug-resistant bugs like Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, and MRSA. Prevention now means controlling diabetes, stopping smoking, maintaining sterility, and early mobilisation — not just antibiotics, said Dr. Asuri Krishna of AIIMS Delhi. Globally, AMR caused 1.27 million deaths directly in 2019, per The Lancet. In response, AIIMS’s Dr. V.K. Bansal said antimicrobial stewardship programmes are now key to safe surgery. In India, an ICMR study found a 5.2% surgical site infection rate, with longer and complex surgeries at highest risk. Experts say tracking this data will help hospitals improve safety. “Protecting antibiotics is everyone’s job,” Bansal added. Post navigation WHO Urges Urgent Action as Global Cancer Cases Set to Nearly Double by 2050
