Endophthalmitis after pars plana vitrectomy: a New Zealand experience

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical course and estimate the incidence of endophthalmitis after pars plana vitrectomy in New Zealand. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on all cases of culture-positive endophthalmitis after vitreoretinal surgery over a 10-year period. RESULTS: Five cases of culture-positive endophthalmitis were identified between 1993 and 2002. During this interval, 10,397 vitrectomies were performed, equating to an overall incidence of 0.048%. All patients presented within 7 days of surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Endophthalmitis after pars plana vitrectomy is uncommon but is associated with a poor functional outcome.