Long-term safety and visual outcomes of transscleral sutured posterior chamber IOLs and penetrating keratoplasty combined with transscleral sutured posterior chamber IOLs.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of consecutive patients who underwent transscleral sutured posterior chamber intraocular lens (TS PCIOL) implantation as well as patients who had combined penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and TS PCIOL.

Methods: Data from all patients who had sutured PCIOL insertion performed by the same surgeon (V.S.N.) between January 2003 and June 2007 were compiled and analyzed.

Results: Group 1 consisted of 69 eyes of 67 patients who had TS PCIOL only. Mean age was 65.1 years, and mean follow-up was 14.25 months. Mean best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) was 20/80 preoperatively and 20/40 postoperatively. Group 2 consisted of 38 eyes of 37 patients who had combined PK and TS PCIOL. Mean age was 70.21 years, and mean follow-up was 14.29 months. Mean BSCVA was <20/250 preoperatively and between 20/70 and 20/80 postoperatively. In both groups, there were no reported cases of choroidal hemorrhage or hyphema. There was one case (0.9%) of suture erosion (group 1). There were no redislocations, lens tilting, suture breakage, or graft rejections. Postoperative complications included uveitis in 1 eye (0.9%), glaucoma in 5 (4.7%), cystoid macular edema in 6 (5.6%), and retinal detachment in 2 (1.9%).

Conclusions: The TS PCIOL procedure, as done by the ab externo method, is safe and effective. It has few intraoperative or postoperative complications, and it improves visual acuity in patients requiring either TS PCIOL alone or combined PK and TS PCIOL. Ultimately, in considering TS PCIOL, patient selection, surgical method, and the surgeon's comfort with the technique must be weighed.