BACKGROUND: To compare the risk of surgical complications after primary surgical intervention for postoperative endophthalmitis after cataract surgery (PE) in cases that underwent a pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) or a vitreous tap (VT) in Denmark in the calendar period 1 January 2000 to 30 June 2011.

METHODS: Retrospective, register- and chart-based study.

RESULTS: A total of 121 PE cases were identified and followed up to 12.8 years. The overall risk of surgical complications in PE cases that underwent a PPV and a VT was 24.2 and 36.7 %, respectively. This difference was non-statistically significant (p = 0.18). In all, 9.9 % of the PE cases had more than one surgical complication, and 97 % of the primary surgical complications occurred within the first 5 months. There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of retinal detachment (p = 0.45), surgery for PE (p = 0.22), intraocular lens removal (p = 0.19), or removal of the eye (p = 0.69) between the two groups. PE cases that underwent a VT had a statistically significantly higher risk of surgery for vitreous opacities (p = 0.047) compared to a PPV.

CONCLUSIONS: In all, 27.3 % of all cases developed a surgical complication after primary surgical intervention for PE. If a PE case did not have a surgical complication within the first 5 months, it was highly unlikely that a new surgical complication would occur. A VT was not associated with a statistically significantly higher overall risk of surgical complications compared to a PPV.