Additional procedures after the initial vitrectomy or tap-biopsy in the Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess the frequency, indications, and outcome of additional ocular procedures after initial treatment of vitrectomy (VIT) or tap-biopsy (TAP) for patients with endophthalmitis after cataract extraction.

DESIGN: The study design was an analysis of observational data collected as part of a multicenter, randomized clinical trial.

PARTICIPANTS: Of the 420 patients enrolled in the Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study, the 148 who had additional procedures were compared with the 272 who did not.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The types, indications, and number of additional ocular procedures were assessed. A masked examiner measured visual acuity 9 to 12 months after study entry.

RESULTS: Within 1 week of study entry, 8% of VIT eyes and 13% of TAP eyes underwent additional procedures, 14% for complications of the initial procedure and 86% for worsening ocular inflammation or infection. Cultures were obtained in 33 of the 38 eyes operated on for worsening inflammation or infection and were positive in 42%. Cultures obtained from the early additional procedures were positive more frequently in eyes with an initial TAP (71%) than in eyes with an initial VIT (13%). Both virulence of initial microbiologic organism isolated and poor presenting vision were risk factors for requirement of reoperation. In all cases in which a single organism was cultured at the initial procedure, when the reculture was positive, it was the same organism. Late additional procedures (after 7 days) were required in 27% of patients. Visual outcome was much worse for eyes that had an additional procedure compared to eyes that did not, and this was especially the case for eyes that had an early additional procedure. Only 15% of eyes that had an early additional procedure achieved 20/40 visual acuity as compared to 57% of eyes that did not.

CONCLUSION: Need for an additional procedure was a marker of more severe disease, and patients who underwent additional procedures achieved poorer visual acuity at final follow-up.