rss
Br J Ophthalmol 2007;91:728-730 doi:10.1136/bjo.2006.109827
  • Clinical science
    • Scientific reports

Postoperative endophthalmitis associated with sutured versus unsutured clear corneal cataract incisions

  1. Susan S Thoms,
  2. David C Musch,
  3. H Kaz Soong
  1. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
  1. Correspondence to: Dr S S Thoms University of Michigan, Center for Specialty Care, 19900 Haggerty Road, Suite 111, Livonia, MI 48152, USA; sthoms{at}umich.edu
  • Accepted 11 December 2006

Abstract

Aim: To compare the incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis in clear corneal cataract surgeries performed with and without suture closure, antibiotics and povidone iodine.

Setting: Ambulatory surgery facility.

Methods: In a retrospective, consecutive case-series study, we reviewed the incidence of endophthalmitis in 815 consecutive eyes that underwent cataract surgery by a single surgeon over a 5-year period (379 unsutured and 436 sutured, 294 without and 521 with antibiotic drops in the immediate postoperative period, and 247 without and 568 with povidone iodine before patching).

Results: There were five cases of culture-positive postoperative endophthalmitis in the unsutured group and none in the sutured group (p = 0.022). Although patients in these two groups received routine preoperative antibiotic and povidone-iodine drops, those in whom antibiotic eye drops were not initiated until the day after surgery (p = 0.006) and those who did not receive 5% povidone-iodine drops immediately after wound closure (p = 0.031), had a higher incidence of endophthalmitis.

Conclusion: Results suggest that by suturing the corneal incisions, by initiating antibiotic eye drops within the first 24 h of surgery and by instilling povidone-iodine drops after closure, the incidence of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery could possibly be reduced.

Footnotes

  • Funding: this research was supported in part by a departmental grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc, New York, New York, USA. The authors have no proprietary or financial interest in any product mentioned in this study.

  • Competing interests: None.

  • This study was approved by the University of Michigan IRB.

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.