[Bacterial contamination: epidemiology in cataract surgery]

To evaluate anterior chamber (AC) bacterial contamination at the end of cataract surgery in a large series of patients, to determine the influence of operative technique on ocular contamination.

Retrospective study of 2,624 patients undergoing cataract extraction, 354 extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and 2,270 phacoemulsification. Anterior chamber aspirates were performed on completion of surgery for microbiological studies.

One hundred and thirty two patients (5%) had culture-positive anterior chamber aspirates. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Propionibacterium sp. and Corynebacterium sp. were the most commonly isolated organisms. The AC contamination rates during ECCE (5.6%) and phacoemulsification (4.7%) were not statistically different. There was a statistically significantly higher risk of AC contamination in eyes receiving an intraocular lens (IOL) with polypropylene haptics (9.9%) than in eyes receiving the same IOL with polymethylmethacrylate haptics (4.4%).

Surgical technique had no statistically significant effect on ocular contamination. Polypropylene haptics IOLs were associated with a higher risk of bacterial contamination.