Combined surgery, phacoemulsification, implantation of intraocular lens and pars plana vitrectomy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness, technical feasibility and incidence of complications after combining pars plana vitrectomy, phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The results of combined vitreoretinal and cataract surgery in 100 eyes of 96 patients were retrospectively and prospectively analyzed. The mean follow-up period was 8.4 months. All patients had clinically significant lens opacities and vitreoretinal pathology requiring pars plana vitrectomy. Indications for vitreoretinal surgery included: persistent vitreous haemorrhage (28 eyes), vitreous hemorrhage combined with tractional retinal detachment (50 eyes), tractional retinal detachment without vitreous haemorrhage caused by proliferative diabetic retinopathy (7 eyes), rheumatogenous retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (10 eyes) and dislocated crystalline lens in the vitreous (5 eyes). RESULTS: Postoperatively, best corrected visual acuity improved in 81 eyes (81%)- by two lines or more in 31 eyes (31%) - by less than two lines in 50 eyes (50%). In 14 eyes (14%) visual acuity was unchanged and was worse in 5 cases (5%). Postoperative complications included fibrin reaction, posterior synechias of the iris, vitreous hemorrhage, neovascular glaucoma, posterior capsule opacification, redetachment of retina. CONCLUSIONS: Our cases confirm previous study, that performing phacoemulsification, IOL implantation and vitrectomy in one operation is safe and allows visual recovery with good technical results.