Cohort study of 27 cases of endophthalmitis at a single institution.

PURPOSE: To identify potential risk factors associated with post-cataract surgery bacterial endophthalmitis. SETTING: The John A. Moran Eye Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study consisted of patients who had surgery for cataract(s) at this eye hospital. A 10% sampling of all patients operated on for cataract surgery from January 1, 1996, to December 31, 2002, were compared with all cases of postcataract surgery bacterial endophthalmitis during this same time period at this institution. The main outcome measure(s) included surgical complication, first postoperative day wound leak, incision placement and location, intraocular lens material, whether a suture was placed, antibiotic used, collagen shield use, and whether the eye was patched. RESULTS: A total of 1525 patients were in the control cohort, and there were 27 cases of endophthalmitis. In a multivariate regression analysis, the factors found to be statistically associated with endophthalmitis were (1) wound leak on the first postoperative day (odds ratio [OR] 44 +/- 42; confidence interval [CI] 6.85 to 287; P<.001); (2) capsular or zonular surgical complication (OR 17.2 +/- 14.2; CI 3.44 to 86.4; P=.001); (3) topical antibiotic started the day after surgery rather than the day of surgery (OR 13.7 +/- 12.9; CI 2.17 to 90.9; P=.005); (4) use of ciprofloxacin rather than ofloxacin topically after surgery (OR 5.3 +/- 3.6; CI 1.41 to 20.0; P=.014); (5) not patching after surgery (OR 7.1 +/- 5.6; CI 1.47 to 36.4; P=.015); and (6) not placing a collagen shield soaked in antibiotic (OR 2.7 +/- 1.3; CI 1.06 to 7.14 P=.037). CONCLUSION: In sutureless cataract surgery, surgical complications and wound leak on the first postoperative day were most strongly associated with endophthalmitis.

Legacy AdvanTec and Sovereign WhiteStar: a wound temperature study.

PURPOSE: To assess the wound temperature of the Sovereign WhiteStar (S-WS) (AMO) and Legacy AdvanTec (L-ADV) (Alcon) phacoemulsification systems. SETTING: John A. Moran Eye Center, Health Sciences Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. METHODS: Phacoemulsification using 20-gauge, 30-degree straight tips with the L-ADV and S-WS systems was performed in fresh cadaver eyes. The power was set at 50%, and aspiration was 12 mL/min; the L-ADV was run at 15 pulses per second (pps) and the S-WS at WS CF (6 milliseconds on, 12 milliseconds off). Temperature was measured at 5-second intervals for 60 seconds using a microthermistor placed in the wound. The phaco tip was angled 30 degrees to increase wound-tissue contact. At 10 seconds, the flow was clamped to simulate occlusion. Five runs, sleeved and unsleeved, were averaged for the phaco tip. RESULTS: The mean temperature was significantly higher with L-ADV than with S-WS (from 10 seconds on in the sleeved condition and from 5 seconds on in the unsleeved condition after the aspiration line was clamped). In 2 of 5 sleeved runs and 4 of 5 unsleeved runs, the L-ADV handpiece decreased power as the temperature increased. One run with the L-ADV with sleeve showed signs of wound burn. There were no signs of wound burn with the S-WS. The highest temperature recorded was 57.5 degrees C with the L-ADV and 38.6 degrees C with the S-WS. Power tests showed L-ADV protected the stroke length and S-WS had constant power except in air where it increased power. CONCLUSIONS: There was less increase in wound temperature over time with the S-WS than with the L-ADV system in sleeved and unsleeved simulated surgery in human eye-bank eyes. Because the ultrasound handpieces respond differently under different load scenarios, meaningful comparisons of pulsing features are difficult to create.