{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T22:47:32Z","timestamp":1776725252373,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":7,"publisher":"Georg Thieme Verlag KG","issue":"04","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Klin Monbl Augenheilkd"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]},"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n Purpose To assess the prevalence of microfibre contamination in the anterior segment during and after cataract surgery and to evaluate the use of polymer-based disposable materials in ophthalmic operating theatres in Germany and Switzerland.<\/jats:p>\n Methods A web-based survey was distributed to senior ophthalmic surgeons across hospitals, private clinics, and surgical centres in Germany and Switzerland. The questionnaire collected data on professional background, use of disposable versus reusable materials, and observations of microfibres intra- and postoperatively. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed using Excel and chi-square testing with p\u2009<\u20090.05 considered significant.<\/jats:p>\n Results Of 226 contacted surgeons, 184 (81%) were reached and 38 (21%) completed the survey. Most respondents (76%) were department heads or chairholders, and 68% had >\u200920 years of professional experience. Disposable, polymer-based textiles were used by \u2265\u200987% of respondents for surgical clothing, drapes, and table coverings. Microfibres in the anterior chamber were observed intraoperatively by 89% and postoperatively by 87% of surgeons. The estimated relative frequency was >\u20090.1\u200a\u2013\u200a5% of eyes in most cases. Microfibres on or within instruments were reported by 71% of participants. Observation frequency correlated significantly with higher personal surgical volume (p\u2009<\u20090.03) and with senior institutional position (p\u2009<\u20090.02), but not with years of experience or total institutional case volume. Instrument reprocessing method (in-house vs. external) and the use of reusable irrigation\/aspiration handpieces were not associated with increased microfibre\n observations.<\/jats:p>\n Conclusions Microfibre contamination of the anterior segment remains a frequent finding in contemporary cataract surgery despite the near-universal adoption of polymer-based disposable textiles. Further studies are needed to characterise the material composition of intraocular fibres and identify their sources to reduce this complication.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1055\/a-2764-1572","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]],"date-time":"2026-01-29T23:50:22Z","timestamp":1769730622000},"page":"372-375","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Microfibres in the Anterior Segment During and after Cataract Surgery: A Survey of Leading Ophthalmic Surgeons in Germany and Switzerland"],"prefix":"10.1055","volume":"243","author":[{"given":"Heinrich","family":"Gerding","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Pallas Kliniken AG, Olten, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"194","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wneu.2018.05.119","article-title":"Retention of nonabsorbable hemostatic materials (retained sponge, gossypiboma, textiloma, gauzoma, muslinoma) after spinal cord surgery: a systematic review of cases reported during the last half-century","volume":"116","author":"M Turgut","year":"2018","journal-title":"World Neurosurg"},{"key":"ref2","first-page":"598","article-title":"Intraocular foreign bodies after cataract surgery","volume":"93","author":"B Benito-Pascual","year":"2018","journal-title":"Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1181","DOI":"10.1007\/s00417-023-06286-9","article-title":"Retained foreign objects after routine cataract surgery: a systematic review","volume":"262","author":"C Kang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1389","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcrs.2008.04.021","article-title":"Frequency, source, and prevention of cotton fibers in the anterior chamber during cataract surgery","volume":"34","author":"H Shimada","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Cataract Refract Surg"},{"key":"ref5","first-page":"67","article-title":"Microplastics and microfibers: a problem in ophthalmic surgery","volume":"43","author":"H Gerding","year":"2022","journal-title":"Z Prakt Augenheilkd"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"411","DOI":"10.1055\/a-1739-0761","article-title":"Microfibres in the capsular bag after cataract surgery","volume":"239","author":"H Gerding","year":"2022","journal-title":"Klin Monbl Augenheilkd"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"958","DOI":"10.1038\/eye.2014.76","article-title":"Fibres found in the eye during and after phacoemulsification cataract surgery","volume":"28","author":"Z W McPherson","year":"2014","journal-title":"Eye (Lond)"}],"container-title":["Klinische Monatsbl\u00e4tter f\u00fcr Augenheilkunde"],"original-title":[],"language":"de","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.thieme-connect.de\/products\/ejournals\/pdf\/10.1055\/a-2764-1572.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T22:35:06Z","timestamp":1776724506000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.thieme-connect.de\/DOI\/DOI?10.1055\/a-2764-1572"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]]},"references-count":7,"journal-issue":{"issue":"04","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1055\/a-2764-1572","archive":["Portico","CLOCKSS"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0023-2165","1439-3999"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0023-2165","type":"print"},{"value":"1439-3999","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]]}}}