Cataract surgery during active methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

We present two patients with active, foul-smelling, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) wounds of the forehead and sternum following craniotomy or open heart surgery. Both had debilitating cataracts and were told by the infectious diseases team that cataract surgery is very risky. Both underwent sequential bilateral phacoemulsification with no sign of infection. Patients with active MRSA wound infections may safely undergo cataract surgery with additional precautions observed intraoperatively (good wound construction) and postoperatively (topical antibiotics and close observation). Banning such surgeries can unnecessarily jeopardize the lifestyles of such patients.