Ocular surface culture changes in patients after septoplasty.

AIM To investigate the interrelationships between pre- and postoperative microbiological changes by taking samples from both eyes of 40 patients who underwent septoplasty due to septal deviation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty patients diagnosed with septal deviation who underwent a septoplasty operation under general anesthesia were enrolled in this study. The study was conducted on 40 patients who met the inclusion criteria and attended follow-up visits. One day before the operation and 48 h after the operation, cultures were taken individually from the conjunctivas and puncta of both eyes and sent to the microbiology laboratory. RESULTS Patients who were candidates for nasal surgery due to their symptoms and clinical examination results were randomly selected and 40 of these completed the study. No statistically significant differences in bacterial growth were observed between the eyes before the operation (P > 0.05). There were, however, statistically significant differences between the eyes in terms of bacterial growth in the postoperative period (P < 0.05). Pathogenic bacterial cultures were grown in 47 eyes in the postoperative period, and this finding was statistically significant. In the eye cultures, the most commonly isolated pathogens were S. epidermidis, and S. aureus. CONCLUSION Although the indicated microorganisms isolated from the patient groups were grown in cultures, there were neither clinical symptoms nor signs related to ocular infections.