POST-OPERATIVE ENDOPHTHALMITIS FOLLOWING CHANDELIER-ASSISTED SCLERAL BUCKLE FOR PRIMARY REPAIR OF RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT

Purpose: To report a case of post-operative endophthalmitis following 25 gauge chandelier-assisted scleral buckle for primary repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment without trans-scleral drainage of sub-retinal fluid. Method: Case report and literature review. Results: An otherwise healthy 23-year-old phakic Caucasian male with a past ophthalmic history of mild myopia and right rhegmatogenous retinal detachment presented with a left superotemporal macula-on rhegmatogenous retinal detachment due to multiple atrophic round holes. He underwent a left cryo/buckle procedure utilising a 25g chandelier endo-illuminator placed through the pars plana as the primary light source. He presented day 5 post-operatively with Staph epidermidis endophthalmitis. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of post-operative endophthalmitis due to 25 gauge chandelier use during scleral buckling surgery. The authors question the utility of this technique, particularly in cases where no sub-retinal fluid drainage is performed.