Evaluation of Posterior Vitreous Detachment after Microcoaxial Cataract Surgery

Objectives: To evaluate the posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) after microcoaxial cataract surgery by considering presence or absence of PVD in the phakic fellow eye. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, we evaluated 40 eyes without PVD of 40 patients aged between 59 and 70 years who were bilateral phakic and were scheduled for surgery. The patients were assigned to 1 of 2 groups according to presence or absence of PVD in the phakic fellow eye. Group 1 consisted of 14 patients with spontaneous PVD in the phakic fellow-eye; group 2 consisted of 26 patients without spontaneous PVD in the phakic fellow eye. The groups were compared in terms of occurrence of PVD after cataract surgery. The PVD was evaluated before cataract surgery and at first and third months after surgery. Results: There was no statistical difference in age, sex, manifest refraction, axial length, mean phaco time, and mean effective phaco time between the groups (p>0.05). While new-onset PVD was detected in 8 eyes at first month and in 2 eyes at third month in group 1, it was in 6 eyes at first month and in 2 eyes at third month in group 2. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p=0.043 for first month; p=0.028 for third month). Conclusion: Even though size of incision has been reduced in cataract surgery, the occurrence of PVD is a potential complication. The presence of PVD in the phakic fellow eye should be considered for the occurrence of PVD due to surgery. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2014; 44: 288-92