Evaluating the efficacy of postoperative topical antibiotics in cataract surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure worldwide, but postoperative endophthalmitis remains a serious complication that can lead to vision loss. While intracameral (IC) antibiotics are well established in significantly reducing the risk of postoperative infections, there is no consensus on the use of postoperative topical antibiotics. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical antibiotics in preventing endophthalmitis in patients already receiving IC antibiotics. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane databases yielded 31 studies that met the inclusion criteria, involving patients who underwent cataract surgery via phacoemulsification. The patients were divided into two groups: those receiving IC antibiotics alone and those receiving additional postoperative topical antibiotics. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis. Results: A total of 1 235 051 eyes were included in the meta-analysis, with 608 302 in the IC + T group, which received intraoperative intracameral antibiotics combined with postoperative topical antibiotics, and 626 749 in the IC group, which received intracameral antibiotics alone. The pooled analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in the incidence of endophthalmitis between the two groups (p = 0.97), with an incidence of 0.0004 (95% CI: 0.0003–0.0005) in both groups. These results suggest that the addition of topical antibiotics does not provide further benefit in preventing infections beyond IC antibiotics alone. Conclusions: IC antibiotics as a sole prophylactic measure may be sufficient, and the routine use of postoperative topical antibiotics could be unnecessary. Reducing the use of topical antibiotics may also help mitigate the risk of antimicrobial resistance.