To evaluate factors affecting wound infection after cataract surgery, and treatment outcomes.

In this retrospective study, we included 20 patients (20 eyes) who experienced wound infection after cataract surgery (phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation) between January 2005 and January 2017. Only those who yielded positive microbial smears were selected. All patients were assigned to a “treatment success group” (remission of infection) or a “treatment failure group” (aggravation of infection or a need for surgical intervention to treat an infectious complication). The demographic, clinical and microbiological features of the two groups were compared and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors affecting treatment failure.

Wound infection developed at 12.25 ± 20.21 days (range 5 to 45 days) after cataract surgery. Sixteen patients developed bacterial and four developed fungal keratitis. Of the 20 patients, 13 (65.0%) were treated successfully and 7 (35.0%) were not. In univariate analyses, diabetes ( p = 0.035), incisional suturing ( p = 0.038), combined endophthalmitis ( p = 0.001), and fungal infection ( p = 0.021) were associated with treatment failure. Multivariate analyses showed that combined endophthalmitis ( p = 0.001) and fungal infection ( p = 0.044) were significant risk factors for treatment failure.

Cataract wound infection is rare but constitutes a serious complication. Combined endophthalmitis and fungal infection are associated with poor treatment outcomes.