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Endophthalmitis After Suture Removal

2000; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 26; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0886-3350(00)00460-0

1873-4502

Stefanos Kokolakis, Panayotis Zafirakis, Ioannis D. Ladas, Gerasimos Livir-Rallatos, Alexandos Damanakis,

Traumatic Ocular and Foreign Body Injuries

We would like to comment on an article about bacterial endophthalmitis after suture removal. Endophthalmitis after suture removal has been reported.1 Despite the precautions that have been suggested (antibiotics) prior to suture removal, cases of bacterial endophthalmitis after suture removal are reported.2 We agree that the use of povidone–iodine 5% solution prior to suture removal may eliminate the offending organisms; however, we strongly believe that eliminating the organisms before suture removal is not enough to prevent endophthalmitis. One factor that should also be considered is the suture removal technique, which was not described in the article by Culbert and Devenyi2 and has not been described in ophthalmology textbooks.1,3 The suture should be cut in 1 of the external corners of the loop (Figure 1), because the exposed part of the suture does not gain access to the eye and cannot transfer micro-organisms through this track.Figure 1.: (Kokolakis) The suture should be cut at point A or B to avoid passing the exposed part of the suture through the suture track.Stefanos Kokolakis MD Panayotis Zafirakis MD Ioannis D. Ladas MD Gerasimos Livir-Rallatos MD Alexandos Damanakis MD Athens, Greece