Anterior chamber contamination during phacoemulsification and manual small-incision cataract surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the per-operative contamination of anterior chamber among eyes undergoing manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS) and phacoemulsification (PE).


METHODS
Prospective, randomized, interventional clinical trial.


METHODS
In this study conducted at a tertiary-care center in southern India, 150 eyes undergoing cataract surgery were randomly allocated to undergo MSICS (group A, 75 eyes) and PE (group B, 75 eyes). Aqueous samples were taken before and at the end of surgery. Collected material was subjected to standard microbiological analysis. No preoperative antibiotics were used, but povidone-iodine 5% drops were instilled before surgery. Main outcome measures studied were the incidence of positive cultures in aqueous samples obtained from eyes in both groups.


RESULTS
The incidence of anterior chamber contamination in the MSICS group (4%) did not significantly differ from the PE group (2.7%; P = .65).


CONCLUSIONS
Incidence of anterior chamber contamination is similar among eyes undergoing MSICS and PE.
Parmar
Pragya
P
Institute of Ophthalmology, Joseph Eye Hospital, Tamil Nadu, India.
Salman
Amjad
A
Kaliamurthy
Jayaraman
J
Prasanth
Duraisamy Aravind
DA
Thomas
Philip Aloysius
PA
Jesudasan
Christdas Arul Nelson
CA
D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000382:microbiology*; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000382:microbiology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000379:methods*; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology*
D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate