Closed-loop Scleral Fixation with 4-eyelet Intraocular Lens Implantation for Aphakia: Clinical Outcomes

Purpose: We present a modified, closed-loop scleral fixation technique. We inserted a 4-eyelet intraocular lens (IOL) into the anterior chamber prior to fixation. We investigated the clinical results.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 39 eyes (39 patients) that underwent modified four-point scleral fixation of an inserted lens in our center from May 2019 to June 2022. The surgical procedure features conjunctival peritomy, 4-eyelet IOL insertion, eyeball penetration using a 9-0 polypropylene needle, eyelet placement using an ab externo technique to form a continuous loop, centering of the optic, and tying of a knot. We compared preoperative and 6-month postoperative changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, and refraction errors, and described postoperative complications.Results: The mean patient age was 62 years. The indications for surgery included complicated cataracts (20.5%), aphakia (20.5%), staged surgery for complicated cataract (12.8%), non-traumatic IOL dislocation (30.8%), traumatic IOL dislocation (12.8%), and crystalline lens dislocation (5.1%). The postoperative BCVA (0.40 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR]) was significantly better than the preoperative BCVA (0.69 logMAR) (p = 0.018). The postoperative spherical equivalent and the target diopter measurement were in high agreement (p = 0.002, intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.616). All of ocular hypertension (7.7%), hypotony (5.1%), bullous keratopathy (5.1%), and macular edema (5.1%) were noted, but 78% of the conditions improved with short-term medication. There was no re-dislocation of a fixated IOL.Conclusions: Our surgical technique simply and rapidly treats aphakia. Optic repositioning was easy, the IOL stability high, and the risk of complications during IOL fixation low.