MRSA

In a recent post on an ophthalmology forum, one doctor made an important clarification about patients having eye surgery.

The post had to with a type of bacteria–methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA). If a patient has an active infection, especially of the face, with MRSA, we may strongly consider cancelling cataract surgery. Usually, we can reschedule the surgery without too much harm to the patient rather than risking contamination of the eye during surgery.

However, many people have colonization with MRSA without an active infection. In this case, we may hardly know about the existence of this colonization. Even if we do know about the colonization, it may be possible to proceed with eye surgery as long as the proper precautions are taken. The important point here is to note that active infections with MRSA and MRSA colonization are very different situations and need to be approached differently.