Visual and anatomic outcomes after intraoperative complications in resident-performed phacoemulsification surgery

Abstract

Purpose :
To review visual and anatomic outcomes after complicated cataract surgery in a teaching institution.

Methods :
IRB approved non-comparative consecutive case series of complicated phacoemulsification surgeries performed by ophthalmology residents under direct supervision of the attendings between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2014.

Results :
133 eyes were analyzed. The mean final BCVA was 20/40. BCVA improved by a mean of 8 letters at 1 month (N=128; p=0.001), 16 letters at 3 months (N=117; p<0.001), 14 letters at 6 months (N=79; p<0.001), and 4 letters at 12 months (N=34; p=0.37). The mean OCT central subfoveal thickness (CST) increased by 36 μm (N=45; p<0.001), 27 μm (N=33; p=0.015), 45 μm (N=23; p=0.004), and 7.7 μm (N=10; p=0.62) at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. BCVA increased by 3 lines in 41%, 56%, 57%, and 44% of eyes at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Sixty (45%) eyes required a secondary surgical procedure. Normal fovea was present in 66%, 59%, 39%, 44%, 33% OCTs obtained at preoperative, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months visits. Intraretinal fluid was present in 1.5%, 3.6%, 2.2%, and 9.5% eyes at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Visual acuity change did not correlated with the macular thickening seen on the OCT at any time point.

Conclusions :
A high proportion of eyes with complicated cataract extraction history requires additional surgical procedures however the visual gains are substantial.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.