title: The effect of anterior chamber maintainer on anterior chamber contamination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of anterior chamber continuous infusion maintainer system on the contamination of anterior chamber in phacoemulsification surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clear corneal phacoemulsification surgery was performed in 132 eyes of 132 randomly selected patients with cataract who were divided into two groups of 66 eyes according to the use of an anterior chamber maintainer (ACM) system. The fluid specimens were taken from anterior chamber in the beginning and at the end of the surgery. They were transferred under anaerobic conditions and investigated by culturing onto blood agar and thiogluconate broth media. Differences between the two groups with respect to contamination of the specimens were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the group undergoing surgery without a maintainer system (Group A) was 63 +/- 10 years (min = 41, max = 80) versus 59 +/- 10 years (min = 33, max = 80) in the other group (Group B) in which the maintainer was used during surgery. In the postoperative specimen, Micrococcus species were isolated from one eye (1.5%) in Group A and S. pyogenes in one eye (1.5%) from Group B. Mean follow-up interval was 12 +/- 6 (min = 4, max = 28) months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of ACM system in clear corneal phacoemulsification surgery carries no additional risks as far as contamination is concerned.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Uludag University School of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey. mehmetbaykara@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baykara
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ozakin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doğru
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ertürk
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Heper
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozçetin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome