Infection rate following elective oculoplastic surgery in a minor procedure setting: a single-centre retrospective...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Surgical site infections (SSIs) are serious complications following oculoplastic surgery, potentially leading to vision loss.
• Performing oculoplastic procedures in minor-surgery settings is common, yet data on postoperative infection rates are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the infection rate of elective outpatient oculoplastic procedures conducted in a minor-surgery setting.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 539 patients undergoing elective oculoplastic surgery between April and December 2018.
• Data included procedure type, surgical details, antibiotic use, follow-up, and complications, specifically surgical site infections.

Main Results:

• An overall infection rate of 0.37% (2 of 539 patients) was observed.
• The complications identified included exposed orbital implant and ptosis repair, with a general complication rate of 2.41%.

Conclusions:

• Elective oculoplastic surgery performed in a minor-procedure setting demonstrates a low incidence of surgical site infections (0.37%).