Incidence of anterior intraocular lens precipitates after combined phacotrabeculectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the incidence of anterior intraocular lens (IOL) precipitates on silicone and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) IOLs after phacotrabeculetomy.


METHODS
District general hospital in the United Kingdom.


METHODS
Ninety-five consecutive eyes of 77 patients who had combined phacotrabeculectomy between April 1992 and October 1996 were retrospectively studied. A slitlamp biomicroscope was used to look for precipitates.


RESULTS
Mean patient age was 75 years (range 51 to 89 years). Preoperatively, mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was 26 mm Hg +/- 5.26 (SD). Thirty plate-haptic silicone IOLs and 65 PMMA IOLs were implanted. Six months postoperatively, median corrected Snellen acuity improved from 6/18 to 6/9. The mean number of antiglaucoma medications dropped from 1.46 preoperatively to 0.29 postoperatively; 73 eyes (76.8%) had an IOP of less than 22 mm Hg with no medication. In 1 surgeon's experience, lens precipitates appeared in 10 of 59 cases (16.9%), with 7 of 14 (50.0%) in the silicone IOL group and 3 of 45 (6.7%) in the PMMA IOL group. The difference was statistically significant (P <.001, chi-square).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of anterior IOL precipitates was significantly higher in patients with a silicone IOL than in those with a PMMA IOL, suggesting that use of silicone IOLs may increase the incidence of postoperative IOL precipitates.
Chang
B Y
BY
Department of Ophthalmology, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford, United Kingdom.
Loh
R
R
Savides
R
R
Atkins
D A
DA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000869:Anterior Eye Segment; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications; D002452:Cell Count; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D014130:Trabeculectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*
D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate