Posters

Intraoperative complications during cataract surgery in very old population

Poster Details

First Author: D.Pahor SLOVENIA

Co Author(s):    T. Gracner                    

Abstract Details

Purpose:

The number of very old patients for cataract surgery has increased in the last years. There is a lack of data for intraoperative complications and cataract surgery safety. Surgery in patients aged 85 years or more is more challenging for many reasons such as dense nuclear cataract, small pupil, low endothelial cell count, weak zonular attachment, others ocular or systemic disease. The aim of our retrospective study was primarily to evaluate intraoperative complications during cataract surgery in very old patients compared to younger group, and to compare the pupil size and cataract maturity for intraoperative complications

Setting:

Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Slovenia

Methods:

Medical data of all 1365 patients admitted to our department for small incision clear cornea phacolemulsification cataract surgery with IOL implantation from January 2017 to January 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into the older group with patients aged 85 years or more and younger group with patients less than 85 years. The need for pupil stretching, capsular staining and incidence of intraoperative complications such as capsular tear, vitreous loss and dropped nucleus were compared between both groups.

Results:

From all cataract surgeries 10% (139 from 1365) were performed in patients 85 years or older, and 23 surgeries were performed in patients older than 90 years of age (1.7%). In all patients phacoemulsification cataract surgery with foldable IOL was performed. In none of the case in the elderly group intraoperative complications were observed. In 0,7% of cases in the younger group capsular tears were observe and vitreous loss in 0,6 % . There was a statistical significant difference between both groups during surgery regarding pupil stretching (8.6 % vs 4.6 %) and capsular staining (9.4 % vs. 5.6 %).

Conclusions:

Our study confirmed that advanced age alone is not a contraindication for cataract surgery and it is not associated with higher intraoperative complications during procedure. The cataract surgery in very old patients is a safe and succesfull procedure. It should be performed earlier especially in polymorbide and demenia patients to contribute to a better psychological state. Age is irrevelant in patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Financial Disclosure:

None