Bacterial endophthalmitis after suture removal

We present 3 cases of endophthalmitis following suture removal after cataract surgery. In all cases, prophylactic antibiotics had been used. Treatment included vitreous tap and intravitreal antibiotic injection, with only 1 of the 3 patients regaining good visual acuity. Because povidone-iodine 5% is more effective at decreasing conjunctival bacterial counts than topical antibiotics, we recommend this method of conjunctival preparation before suture removal.