Antimicrobial Biomaterials and Their Potential Application in Ophthalmology

Abstract

Infections associated with the use of intraocular, periocular, or orbital implants are associated with an increase in both morbidity and in the costs of ophthalmological surgery. This is due to an increased number of visits and the need for additional treatments, at a time when some conventional therapies are losing their efficacy, or even hospitalization. To avoid such consequences, the first step should be to prevent the biomaterials that form implants from being colonized by various microorganisms, either intraoperatively or postoperatively. To this end, several lines of research have emerged that aim at equipping implants with antimicrobial properties, some of which are described in this review.

Next-generation finely controlled graded porous antibacterial bioceramics for high-efficiency vascularization in orbital reconstruction

“…It is worth mentioning that infection derived from the colonization of biomaterials by microorganisms is one of the main complications associated with medical implants. However, the conventional approaches used in the clinic, including the pre-soaking treatment of orbital implants in antibiotics or the usage of intravenous or oral antibiotic therapies, are losing their market [ 43 ]. Therefore, the intrinsic antimicrobial properties of a biomaterial are increasingly expected to contribute to clinical success.…”

Biomaterials in ophthalmology: human cornea bioengineering

“…Ophthalmology, the main domain responsible for the proper functioning of eyes, involves the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of ocularorbital conditions [1]. Even if the eye is an organ which can be easily observed, accessed and manipulated, it possesses an intrinsic physiological complexity, compared to other internal organs.…”