Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Patient Experience - June 2019 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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6 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U N E 2 0 1 9 C ataract sur- geons contin- ue to live somewhat danger- ously in their efforts to prevent the rare but dangerous infection of post-op endophthalmi- tis. Topical prophylaxis remains the communi- ty standard of care, but an ever-growing num- ber of surgeons feel intracameral injections of antibiotics are more effective. But while that method has largely been embraced in Europe, it presents a dilemma for U.S. ophthalmologists. Intracameral injections still aren't FDA-approved — and don't appear likely to be any time soon — so their off-label use at this time could vio- late community standards of care. In addition, pharmaceutical compa- nies have shown little interest in providing single-use, sterile intracam- eral antibiotics, so the drugs must be compounded. All this leaves eye surgeons at a crossroads where using superior post-cataract infection prevention potentially exposes them to medical and legal risk. 5 Things to Know About Intracameral Antibiotics They appear to be more effective than topical prophylaxis for preventing endophthalmitis, but they're still not approved by the FDA. Joe Paone | Senior Associate Editor • EASY ON THE EYES Intracameral injections can reduce endophthalmitis rates and eliminate the need for patients to apply post-op drops — but it's all being done off- label. Steve Arshinoff, MD, FRCSC

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