Surgical, Antiseptic, and Antibiotic Practice in Cataract Surgery: Results from the European Observatory in 2013

Purpose: To report the results from the first iteration of the European Observatory of Cataract Surgery, which was initiated to track changes in surgical, antiseptic, and antibiotic practices in cataract surgery over the coming years.

Setting: Practicing European cataract surgeons (n = 479).

Design: Internet-based declarative questionnaire or telephone questionnaire.

Methods: The questionnaire comprised 37 questions divided into 8 categories as follows: screening, surgeon profile, surgical procedure used, product use before arrival at the operating room, techniques for mydriasis and anesthesia, product use during the surgery, product use after the patient leaves the operating room, and surgeon's attitude to guidelines.

Results: Cataract surgeons (n = 2700) were initially contacted, of whom 479 (17.7%) were included in the survey. The current baseline survey revealed considerable variation between countries in their implementation of infectious postoperative endophthalmitis (IPOE) prophylaxis. In some countries, adoption of intracameral cefuroxime is almost universal, whereas in others, the use of such prophylaxis is below one half. When intracameral cefuroxime is used, it is generally cefuroxime powder designed for parenteral use. A preparation specifically registered for intracameral use is now available, and this formulation is more commonly used in countries in which intracameral cefuroxime was most widely adopted.

Conclusion: The baseline results from this ongoing survey suggest a considerable level of heterogeneity between European countries in IPOE prophylaxis. Further iterations of this survey will monitor whether a consensus begins to emerge.

Financial Disclosures: This work was supported by Laboratoires Théa, under the supervision of the expert group. Members of the expert group were remunerated by Laboratoires Théa. J.F. Stolz, MD, PhD, provided editorial assistance in manuscript preparation, for which he was remunerated by Laboratoires Théa. Anders Behndig, Rita Mencucci, and Jacek P. Szaflik report no relevant conflicts of interest.