Secondary intraocular lens implantation: Eight year experience

Abstract

Objective—To investigate the outcome of secondary intra-ocular lens implantation. Neither a requirement for vitreous surgery nor previous complicated eye surgery/trauma was considered necessarily to be a contra-indication.Design—Retrospective Study. Recruitment was achieved by examination of operating theatre records.Setting—Teaching Hospital.Patients—52 out of 54 consecutive cases in whom a secondary lens had been implanted from 1982-1989 under the care of one consultant (BAN).Interventions—The medical records of all patients were reviewed and data collected for 52 of the total of 54 patients.Main outcome measures—Visual acuity and major complications.Results—77% of eyes retained the same Snellen visual acuity or better than that pre-operatively and 88% were within one line or better. The Mann Whitney U-test showed that neither vitreous manipulation at the time of secondary lens implantation nor a previous history of trauma had a significant effect on the change between pre-and post-operative Snellen visual acuity. Only one patient developed a retinal detachment and eight had cystoid macula oedema although in only one patient did this account for a final decrease in post-operative visual acuity of more than one line. The most common complication was an intense post-operative uveitis (35%) leading in some cases to indefinite low dose topical steroid treatment (21%).Conclusions—This technique gives good visual results, even in the disorganised eye, providing the vitreous is adequately managed. However there is a significant complication rate which should be discussed with the patient before undertaking surgery. © 1990, College of Ophthalmologists. All right reserved.