TOPIC The timing of primary repair of open-globe injury is variable in major trauma centres around the world and there is a lack of consensus on optimal timing. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Surgery is the mainstay of open-globe injury management, and appropriate timing of surgical repair may minimise the risk of potentially blinding complications such as endophthalmitis, thereby optimising visual outcomes.

METHODS:

A systematic literature review was performed following PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO registration number CRD42023442972). CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, ISRCTN registry and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to 29 October 2023. Prospective and retrospective non-randomised studies of patients with open-globe injury with a minimum of one month follow up after primary repair were included. Primary outcomes included visual acuity at last follow-up, and the proportion of patients who developed endophthalmitis. Certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) approach.

RESULTS:

A total of 16 studies met inclusion criteria, reporting a total of 8497 eyes. The most common injury types were penetrating and intraocular foreign body (IOFB). Meta-analysis found that primary repair less than 24 hours after open-globe injury was associated with an odds of endophthalmitis of 0.30 compared to primary repair conducted more than 24 hours after trauma (OR 0.39; 95% CI 0.19-0.79; I2 95%; p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in reported visual outcomes between patients whose open-globe injuries were repaired more than, compared to less than, 24 hours after trauma (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.61-1.29; I2 70%; p = 0.52). All included studies were retrospective and non-randomised, demonstrating an overall low certainty of evidence on GRADE assessment.

CONCLUSION:

Only retrospective data exist around the effect of timing of open-globe repair, causing low certainty of the available evidence. However, this review of the current body of evidence, predominantly including penetrating and IOFB injuries, suggests that primary repair performed less than 24 hours after open-globe injury was associated with a reduced endophthalmitis rate, compared to longer delays, consistent with delay to primary repair increasing endophthalmitis risk.