Endophthalmitis Following Strabismus Surgery: IPOSC Global Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Ophthalmology
• Surgical Complications

Background:

• Endophthalmitis following strabismus surgery (PSSE) is a rare but serious complication.
• Understanding the characteristics and risk factors of PSSE is essential for prevention and timely management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical features of patients with endophthalmitis after strabismus surgery.
• To analyze the characteristics of the strabismus surgery, treatment strategies, and patient prognosis.
• To gather data from pediatric ophthalmologists worldwide regarding PSSE.

Main Methods:

• A global email survey was distributed to members of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAOPS).
• The survey comprised 34 questions focusing on patient and surgical characteristics related to endophthalmitis.
• Data were collected from 349 responding ophthalmologists.

Main Results:

• Twenty-seven cases of endophthalmitis after strabismus surgery were reported.
• The medial rectus muscle was the most frequently operated muscle (55%).
• Endophthalmitis was diagnosed 3-7 days post-surgery, with 34% having no light perception (NLP) final visual acuity.

Conclusions:

• PSSE can occur even in healthy patients and without evident scleral perforation during surgery.
• The majority of PSSE cases manifest within the first week post-operation, necessitating close monitoring during this period.
• The prognosis for PSSE is often poor, with a significant percentage of patients experiencing severe vision loss (LP or NLP).