Staphylococcal infection under a LASIK flap

Purpose. To report a staphylococcal infection under a laser in situ keratom ileusis (LASIK) flap and to discuss the management of this rare and potenti ally devastating complication. Methods. A patient was referred to our pract ice having had bilateral LASIK. She was found to have abscesses under the l eft corneal flap. Staphylococcus aureus was identified as the infecting org anism by corneal scrape and treated with appropriate antibiotics. The corne a improved, and then the abscess recurred. The abscess was again scraped an d intensive treatment reinstituted. Results, After successful treatment, th e patient recovered excellent visual acuity with only a minimal astigmatic error. Conclusion. The possible reasons for the apparent improvement and th en recurrence of the abscess are discussed. The management of this case inc luding the need for corneal scrape and antibiotic prophylaxis is discussed in relation to previously reported cases.