Abstract
Purpose :
Cataract extraction can lower intraocular pressure (IOP). Whether the decrease in IOP is related to preoperative anterior chamber parameters is unclear. A retrospective chart review was performed to examine the relationship between preoperative anterior chamber angle (ACA), lens thickness, and change in average IOP following cataract extraction.
Methods :
A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients who underwent uncomplicated cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation by one experienced surgeon over a two-year interval (2014-2015). Data collected included preoperative ACA and lens thickness, as measured by Pentacam, as well as average preoperative IOP and average postoperative IOP, measured by applanation tonometry. All pre- and post-operative IOP measurements were taken either before the initiation of, or after the termination of all perioperative topical medication. Patients with angle-closure glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma with prior IOP-lowering surgery, or with a change in IOP lowering medications over the study period were excluded. Regression analysis was performed to analyze the data.
Results :
Charts of 85 patients were reviewed. 47 patients (69 eyes) were included in the ACA analysis. Of these patients, 14 (19 eyes) had a lens thickness measurement available for analysis. Average preoperative ACA was 34.3 degrees. Average lens thickness was 3.63 mm. Average pre- and post-operative IOP was 14.1 and 12.3 mmHg, respectively. Average pre- and post-operative IOP for the lens thickness subgroup was 13.5 and 11.8 mmHg, respectively. Average change in IOP was -1.8 mmHg. Average change in IOP for the lens thickness subgroup was -1.5 mmHg. Change in IOP was not related to preoperative ACA (p=0.75, R2=0.0015), or to lens thickness (p=0.08, R2=0.1675).
Conclusions :
Average IOP decreased following uncomplicated cataract extraction. In this study, the postoperative decrease in IOP was unrelated to preoperative ACA, and to lens thickness, as measured by Pentacam. Cataract extraction can aid in IOP control; however, neither the preoperative ACA, nor lens thickness can be used to predict the amount of IOP reduction that will result from the procedure.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.