Ingress of bacterial inoculum into the anterior chamber after bimanual and microcoaxial phacoemulsification in rabbits.

Purpose: To compare the amount of bacterial ingress from the ocular surface into the anterior chamber at the end of bimanual and microcoaxial phacoemulsification in rabbits.

Setting: Iladevi Cataract & IOL Research Centre, Raghudeep Eye Clinic, Memnagar, Ahmedabad, India.

Methods: This randomized study comprised 40 eyes of 20 rabbits. Rabbits had microcoaxial phacoemulsification through a 2.2 mm single-plane clear corneal incision or bimanual phacoemulsification through a clear corneal 1.2 mm incision for phaco tip access accompanied by an additional 1.4 mm incision for irrigating chopper access. At the end of lens removal, 0.5 mL of culture suspension of Staphylococcus epidermidis (105 colony-forming units [CFU]/mL) was instilled on the ocular surface and kept for 2 minutes. Next, 0.1 mL of aqueous fluid was collected from the anterior chamber and subjected to a microbial viable count.

Results: The microcoaxial group had statistically significantly lower ingress of bacteria than the bimanual group (250.0 CFU/mL and 1538.1 CFU/mL, respectively) (P<.002) irrespective of the presence or absence of wound distortion.

Conclusion: Bacterial ingress occurred in both groups, although it was statistically significantly higher in the bimanual group.