Intraocular fluid cultures after primary pars plana vitrectomy.

To determine what organisms enter the eye and remain in the eye after pars plana vitrectomy, vitreous cavity aspirates were cultured postoperatively. Two of 33 (6%) consecutive eyes undergoing primary pars plana vitrectomy had positive cultures. One sample grew a single colony of Staphylococcus epidermidis, the second grew two colonies of Acinetobacter lwoffi. Neither of these eyes developed endophthalmitis. This study demonstrates that bacteria enter the eye at a low rate during pars plana vitrectomy and that the eye on which a vitrectomy has been performed is capable of clearing a low inoculum of bacteria.