2MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Ordu University Faculty of Medicine, Ordu, Turkey DOI : 10.37845/ret.vit.2022.31.56 Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare two distinct approaches during pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for dropped nucleus (DN) after complicated cataract surgery.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective case series study comprised 62 eyes from 62 patients who presented with DN. During PPV for DN, the posterior approach (PA) was conducted using a fragmatome in 39 eyes and the anterior approach (AA) was performed in 23 eyes utilizing a phacoemulsification handpiece in the pupil plane with the assistance of liquid perfluorocarbon. Five patients with severe comorbidities were excluded from the PA group. Visual outcomes of both groups were compared after at least 6 months of follow-up.
Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in age and gender (0.61 and 0.10, respectively). The final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.24±0.17 logMAR in the PA group and 0.15±0.15 in the AA group (P=0.065). The BCVA increase was 0.32±0.18 logMAR in the PA group, while it was 0.22±0.15 logMAR in the AA group (P=0.06). In the PA group, 22 (64.7%) eyes had a final BCVA of ?6/12 (median), whereas, in the AA group, 20 (87.0%) eyes had a final BCVA of ?6/12. The complication rate in the PA group was found to be higher than in the AA group (P=0.004).
Conclusion: Visual outcomes were unaffected by the PA and AA techniques in PPV for DN. On the other hand, the AA technique appears to have a lower complication rate. In such instances, surgeons may prefer the AA technique.
Keywords : Fragmatome, Pars plana vitrectomy, Perfluorocarbon, Phacoemulsification, Retained lens fragments