Vision Surgery: A simple op that comes with the risk of MRSA

03 May 2007

People who have vision-improving surgery such as LASIK run the very real risk of developing the killer infection MRSA.

Scientists who reviewed 13 cases of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) following refractive eye surgery say the risk is very real, and increasing. In nine of the cases, the patient worked at a hospital or medical centre, so it’s likely the risk is even higher among healthcare groups.

In the 13 cases, the infection was treated with antibiotics, although it’s not known if the treatment was successful. MRSA can be a deadly infection, and one that killed more than 2,000 people in 2005 in the UK alone.

(Source: American Journal of Ophthalmology, 2007; 143: 629-34).

E-news broadcast 3 May 2007 No.356

Vision Surgery: A simple op that comes with the risk of MRSA

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