Phaco Tip 135:
Intraocular Antibiotic Injection Technique

At the conclusion of cataract-implant surgery, many surgeons inject an antibiotic such as vancomycin into the anterior chamber. If this is done, it is obviously important that the medication be retained i.e. it should not leak from the incision through which it was injected. In order to accomplish this, I recommend the following technique.

At the conclusion of the cataract-implant procedure and after the phaco and sideport incisions have been ascertained to be watertight, intracameral injection of the antibiotic should be done utilizing a tuberculin syringe with a 27 gauge cannula (disposable or reusable). The cannula should be partially inserted into the sideport incision, depressing the posterior lip in order to soften the eye. Then, with the cannula remaining within the incision (not advanced into the anterior chamber), the injection is performed and the cannula is removed from the incision.

In this manner, leakage of the antibiotic from the eye (alongside the cannula) is avoided and the full dose of the medication is delivered and maintained within the anterior chamber.

* Phaco Tip TM of Richard J. Mackool, M.D.

The parameters (instrument settings) and incision size presented here have been established by the surgeon and do not reflect recommendations by Alcon.