The incidence of endophthalmitis following transconjunctival sutureless 25- vs 20-gauge vitrectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of endophthalmitis following 25-gauge and standard 20-gauge vitrectomy.


METHODS
In this single-centre retrospective interventional case series, we evaluated the incidence of acute endophthalmitis occurring within the 14-day postoperative period in all patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy between 1 November 2002 and 31 December 2006. A total of 3477 consecutive patients were identified. Of them, 3046 patients underwent 20-gauge vitrectomy and 431 underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy.


RESULTS
The event rates of postoperative endophthalmitis were 0.03% (1 of 3046) after 20-gauge vitrectomy and 0.23% (1 of 431) after 25-gauge vitrectomy (P=0.23). In the endophthalmitis case that occurred after 25-gauge vitrectomy, a combined phacoemulsification cataract surgery was performed with the 25-gauge vitrectomy. Analyses of event rates of postoperative endophthalmitis after combining phacoemulsification cataract surgery and vitrectomy were 0% (0 of 170) for 20-gauge vitrectomy and 2.17% (1 of 46) for 25-gauge surgery vitrectomy (P=0.21).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis following 25-gauge vitrectomy and 20-gauge surgery is low. Although there is a trend suggesting an increased risk of endophthalmitis with the 25-gauge system, this difference was not statistically significant given the low number of measured outcomes.
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
J K
JK
Chen
R N
RN
Khurana
Q D
QD
Nguyen
D V
DV
Do
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002386:Cataract; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents