Retina-Vitreous
2001 , Vol 9 , Num 2
SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF DROPPED NUCLEUS DURING CATARACT SURGERY
UÜTF Göz Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı
Purpose: To evaluate the results of different surgical treatment approaches in eyes with nucleus dislocation during cataract surgery. Methods: Thirty-two consecutive eyes with dropped nucleus were included in the study. After a complete pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), the dislocated nucleus was removed by pars plana phacofragmantation technique in 16 eyes, by limbal incision via the anterior chamber in 13 eyes, and in 3 eyes the nuclei were fragmented between the vitrectomy and endoillumination probe and aspirated.
Results: After a mean follow up of 10.4 months, 66% of all eyes had 5/10 or higher visual acuity. Only 15% of all eyes had less than 1/10 snellen visual acuity. During the follow- up period clinical significant cystoid macular edema in 4 eyes, retinal detatchment in 2 eyes, pupillary irregularity in 5 eyes, and epiretinal membrane in 2 eyes were observed. Between different surgical techniques which were used to extract the nucleus and between the groups which had had early or late surgery, there was no statistically significant difference on visual outcomes. Though the corneal complications were much more in extraction of the nucleus by limbal way.
Conclusion: Considering visual outcomes, the timing and techniques of surgery does not significantly differ in nucleus dropped cases,. However we observed that pars plana phacofragmantation is safer technique than limbal aproach for the anterior segment complication such as corneal edema. Keywords : Dropped nucleus, Pars plana vitrectomy, Complications