Posters

Phacoemulsification on patients with pseudoexfoliative syndrome: retrospective analysis of short and long-term outcomes

Poster Details

First Author: S. Rodrigues PORTUGAL

Co Author(s): I. Gomes   L. Paris   M. Vila Franca   J. Fernandes           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To evaluate short and long term outcomes of cataract surgery in a group of patients with pseudoexfoliative (PEX) syndrome.

Setting:

Instituto de Oftalmologia Dr Gama Pinto, Lisbon, Portugal

Methods:

We performed an initial retrospective analysis of 38 PEX eyes and 41 controls who underwent phacoemulsification surgery during a three month period in early 2016. We compared them for quality of mydriasis, pre and post-op visual acuity and intraocular pressure (IOP), surgical complications and need for re-intervention up to the third post-op month. Phacodonesis and lens subluxation cases were excluded. After this, we did a second retrospective analysis of patients subjected to vitreo-retinal surgery due to IOL luxation during a ten year period. We identified patients with PEX and measured time between initial phaco and need for re-intervention.

Results:

40% of PEX patients had a poor mydriasis compared with 5% in the control group. Visual acuity gain, post-op IOP and rate of intra-operative complications was similar in both groups, except for zonular deiscence which occurred in two PEX patients but in no control patient. No patient required re-intervention up to the third post-op month. A total of 172 patients underwent vitreoretinal surgery for IOL luxation between 2005 and 2015. Considering only cases of uneventful cataract surgery, we observed that PEX was present in 18% of individuals and that the interval between initial surgery and re-intervention averaged 7,5 years (2-12).

Conclusions:

Cataract surgery in PEX patients requires adequate planning to ensure a safe surgery with good functional outcomes. In our study, we did not find significant difference in surgical results or complication rates between patients with and without PEX. On the other hand, IOL luxation is a late and probably underdiagnosed complication, occuring 2-12 years after apparently uneventful surgery; it’s not clear whether this is related to surgical technique or to the zonular fragility inherent to PEX syndrome.

Financial Disclosure:

None