Evaluation of postoperative outcomes after cataract surgery in patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-Associated Uveitis.

Purpose: To evaluate the postoperative outcomes of cataract surgery and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation on visual outcomes and complications in pediatric patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-Associated Uveitis.

Methods: This study included 25 patients (30 eyes) with uveitis and cataracts who underwent cataract surgery. The study was conducted as a retrospective study. Patients were divided into two groups based on their preoperative treatment: those who received immunomodulatory therapy (IMT) along with systemic corticosteroids and those who received IMT in combination with a biologic therapy. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), central macular thickness (CMT), macular volume (MV), and postoperative complications were assessed at various time points up to 12 months. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon.

Results: Significant improvement in BCVA were observed postoperatively in both study groups, with approximately 80% of eyes showing improvement. Mean BCVA improved from 0.89 ± 0.63 to 0.37 ± 0.33 in group 1and from 0.82 ± 0.68 to 0.35 ± 0.31 in group 2 after 12 months. Postoperatively, there was a decrease in mean IOP, with no significant variance observed between the two groups. Complications were observed in 73% of cases, including posterior capsular opacification (PCO), secondary glaucoma, and macular edema (ME), but did not significantly differ between groups.

Conclusion: Cataract surgery in children with uveitis associated with JIA presents significant challenges due to the risk of postoperative complications, even with adequate preoperative and postoperative care. The similar improvement in BCVA observed in both groups suggests that different systemic therapies were sufficient for satisfactory control of inflammation before and after surgery.