23-Gauge Pars Plana Vitrectomy without Phacofragmentation for Dislocated Lens Fragments after Complicated Cataract Surgery

INTRODUCTION: The present study is an evaluation of outcomes of 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) performed to ex- tract dislocated lens fragments without phacofragmentation after complicated cataract surgery.
METHODS: In a consecutive case series, 50 eyes that underwent 23-gauge PPV without use of phacofragmatome were retrospectively reviewed.
RESULTS: Visual acuity (VA) improved from preoperative 20/250 to 20/57 final VA (p<0.01). Mean surgical operating time for removal of lens material was 13.4 minutes (range: 1–52 min). Mean length of time period between complicated cata- ract surgery and PPV was 8.4 days (range: 0–60 d) and was negatively correlated with surgical time required (p<0.01).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Comparable results were obtained with 23-gauge PPV performed without phacofragmentation for elimina- tion of lens fragments following cataract surgery, making it a suitable alternative option. Amount of dislocated lens and the length of time since the cataract surgery are the main factors affecting operation time.