Prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis after thoracoabdominal esophagectomy does not reduce the risk of pneumonia in the first 30 days: a retrospective before-and-after analysis.

Purpose: Thoracoabdominal esophageal resection for malignant disease is frequently associated with pulmonary infection. Whether prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis beyond a single perioperative dose is advantageous in preventing pulmonary infection after thoracoabdominal esophagectomy remains unclear.

Methods: In this retrospective before-and-after analysis, 173 patients between January 2009 and December 2014 from a prospectively maintained database were included.