Nd:YAG Capsulotomy after Phacoemulsification in Vitrectomized Eyes: Effects of Pars Plana Vitrectomy on Posterior Capsule Opacification

Abstract EN

To compare the progression of posterior capsule opacification (PCO) in patients who required Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy following either combined cataract surgery with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV; C-CV), sequential cataract surgery after PPV (S-CV), or cataract surgery alone (CA).

The medical records of 321 patients (408 eyes) who underwent Nd:YAG capsulotomy were retrospectively evaluated.

The CA group had a significantly longer time interval from cataract surgery to capsulotomy than that of both the CV group (P=0.006) and the S-CV (P=0.013) and C-CV (P=0.042) subgroups when age-matched comparisons were used.

CV patients who implanted a hydrophobic acrylic IOL had shorter time intervals than those of CA patients (P=0.028).

CV patients had larger hazard of earlier capsulotomy than CA patients (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.337; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.100–1.625; P=0.004).

C-CV and S-CV patients both had larger hazard than CA patients in earlier capsulotomy (HR=1.304; 95% CI=1.007–1.688; P=0.044, HR=1.361; 95% CI=1.084–1.709; P=0.008, resp.).

PCO progresses more rapidly in patients undergoing combined or sequential cataract surgery and PPV than in patients undergoing CA.