Entry of antibiotic ointment into the anterior chamber following sutureless clear corneal incisions phacoemulsification:a case report / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

ABSTRACT

·AIM:To report a case of entry of antibiotic ointment into the anterior chamber following sutureless clear corneal incisions phacoemulsification.·METHODS:A 62-year-old man had uneventful phaco-emulsification with clear corneal incisions with intraocular lens(IOL) implantation. Postoperative medication included antibiotic/steroid ointment; the eye was firmly patched at the end of the procedure. On the first postoperative day, the patient was seen an oily droplet floating in the anterior chamber. Immediate surgical removal of the ointment without IOL exchange was performed.·RESULTS:During follow-up for six months after irrigation/aspiration of the anterior chamber and removal of the oily droplet, visual acuity and intraocular pressure (IOP) were unchanged and anterior segment was formed and quiet.·CONCLUSION:Ophthalmic ointment may ingress into the anterior chamber through unstable clear corneal incisions. The case highlights the importance of appropriate wound construction and integrity, as well as the risk of tight eye patching following placement of ointment.