INTRAOCULAR FLUID CULTURES AFTER PRIMARY PARS-PLANA VITRECTOMY

To determine what organisms enter the eye and remain in the eye after pars plana vitrectomy, vitreous cavity aspirates were cultured postoperatively. Two of 33 (6%) consecutive eyes undergoing primary pars plana vitrectomy had positive cultures. One sample grew a single colony of Staphylococcus epidermidis, the second grew two colonies of Acinetobacter lwoffi. Neither of these eyes developed endophthalmitis. This study demonstrates that bacteria enter the eye at a low rate during pars plana vitrectomy and that the eye on which a vitrectomy has been performed is capable of clearing a low inoculum of bacteria.