Population-based analysis of intraocular lens exchange and repositioning

Intraoperative Intraocular Lens Waste: Incidence, Cost and Reasons

PURPOSE

To evaluate the incidence and cost of intraocular lens(IOL) waste during IOL implantation, as well as the reasons for it.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 485 patients from the IOL waste registers of a single tertiary eye hospital in China during 2016-2020. The primary outcomes were the incidence, cost, and reasons for different IOL properties. Cases were examined to ascertain IOL material, design, procedural details, and causes of waste.

RESULTS

IOL waste occurred in 485 (6.62‰) of the 73,246 IOL implantations during the study period. The total cost of IOL waste was 429, 850.26 Chinese Yuan (CNY) related to waste with an average cost of 2, 442.33 CNY per procedure during the study period. Comparisons between IOL properties showed that polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) material (39, 2.05%), three-piece design (142, 1.49%), and secondary IOL implantation (26, 2.16%) were associated with IOL wastage, and the difference was statistically significant. The causes of IOL waste were damage (107, 60.80%), patient reasons (37, 21.26%), aseptic errors (22, 12.50%), IOL quality problems (8, 4.55%), and loss (2, 1.14%).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of IOL waste is low, but still leads to a significant cost burden due to a large number of cataract surgeries. PMMA material, three-piece design, and secondary implantation were identified as factors increasing IOL waste. Damage emerged as the primary reason for waste, largely attributed to human error. Therefore, the development of strategies to mitigate IOL waste is imperative.

Visual Acuity Outcomes and Complications after Intraocular Lens Exchange: An IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) Analysis

PURPOSE

To assess risk factors for worse visual acuity (VA) outcomes after intraocular lens (IOL) exchange, and the most common postsurgical complications.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

Eyes from patients 18 years of age and older in the IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) that underwent IOL exchange in the United States between 2013 and 2019.

METHODS

Vision improvement compared with baseline was determined at 1 year after surgery. A multivariable generalized estimating equation model adjusting for demographic factors and baseline vision was used to identify factors associated with VA worse than 20/40 at 1 year.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Visual outcomes and postoperative complications after lens exchange.

RESULTS

A total of 46 063 procedures (n = 41 925 unique patients) were included in the analysis. Overall, VA improved from a mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 0.53 ± 0.58 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR; Snellen equivalent, 20/70) before surgery to a mean ± SD of 0.31 ± 0.40 logMAR (Snellen equivalent, 20/40) at 1 year. Among eyes with VA recorded at both baseline and 1 year after surgery, 60.5% achieved VA of 20/40 or better at 1 year. Vision of worse than 20/40 at 1 year was associated with greater age (odds ratio [OR], 1.16 per 5-year increase; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-1.18) and higher logMAR baseline VA (OR, 1.14 per 0.1-logMAR increase; 95% CI, 1.14-1.15), as well as Black or African American (OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.68-2.28), Hispanic (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.59-2.08), and Asian (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.21-1.81) race or ethnicity versus White race, Medicaid (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.40-2.25) versus private insurance, smoking history (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.11-1.35), and concurrent anterior (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.51-1.81) and posterior (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.41-1.66) vitrectomy versus no vitrectomy. Female sex was associated with better VA at 1 year. At 1 year, epiretinal membrane (10.9%), mechanical lens complication (9.4%), and dislocation of the replacement lens (7.1%) were the most common complications.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large national cohort, the annual number of IOL exchanges rose steadily over time. Vision improved in 60.2% of patients; worse visual outcomes were associated with greater age, worse baseline vision, Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, Medicaid insurance, smoking, and concurrent vitrectomy. Epiretinal membrane was the most common complication.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S)

Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Repositioning surgery of different intraocular lens designs in eyes with late in-the-bag intraocular lens dislocation

PURPOSE

To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety after intraocular lens (IOL) repositioning by scleral suturing of 1-piece IOL compared with other IOL designs in the treatment of late in-the-bag IOL dislocation.

SETTING

Patients referred to Oslo University Hospital Oslo, Norway.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

METHODS

The study comprised 54 patients (54 eyes) with late in-the-bag IOL dislocation treated with IOL repositioning by scleral sutures (10-0 polypropylene). All operations were performed with an anterior approach and by 1 surgeon. The following IOL designs were repositioned: 1-piece foldable (n = 17), 3-piece foldable (n = 28), plate-haptic (n = 8), and 1-piece rigid (n = 1) IOLs. Patients were evaluated comprehensively preoperatively and at 6 months (80%), 1 year (67%), and 2 years (61%) postoperatively. The main outcome measures were efficacy regarding corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and spherical equivalent (SE) and safety regarding complications.

RESULTS

Postoperative visual acuity was similar for different IOL designs. The mean SE change to final observation was -0.08 (95% CI, -0.93 to 0.77) in the 1-piece IOL group (n = 11) and -0.98 (-1.73 to -0.23) in the 3-piece IOL group (n = 18) (P = .11). Regarding safety, no patients had uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema syndrome, retinal detachment, or endophthalmitis. The 3-piece IOL group had 1 case of redislocation and 1 case of iritis. No patients had symptoms related to clinical IOL decentration. Long-term intraocular pressure remained within normal limits with overlapping 95% CIs for different IOLs.

CONCLUSIONS

Repositioning surgery of 1-piece IOLs seems as efficient and safe as that for other IOL designs in the treatment of late in-the-bag IOL dislocation.

Microscopic Characteristics of Late Intraocular Lens Opacifications

CONTEXT.—

The increases in overall life expectancy and in lens surgeries performed on younger patients have resulted in a significant increase in the anticipated duration of artificial intraocular lenses (IOLs) in the eye. Thus, the physicochemical properties of the IOL become a critical issue, and several types of postoperative IOL opacifications have been reported.

OBJECTIVE.—

To describe the microscopic characteristics of opacified IOLs. Glistenings and subsurface nanoglistenings are fluid-related phenomena developing mainly in hydrophobic acrylic IOLs and are associated with aqueous influx into the IOL matrix. Calcification presents in hydrophilic acrylic or silicone IOLs as deposits of hydroxyapatite or other phases of calcium. Snowflake degeneration is less common, and it manifests in older polymethyl methacrylate IOLs.

DATA SOURCES.—

PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were searched for the following keywords: intraocular lens, IOL, cataract surgery, phacoemulsification, opacification, glistening, subsurface nanoglistenings, calcification, snowflake degeneration. English-language articles published up to October 15, 2019 were included in the study. The manuscript contains mainly a literature review; however, it was supplemented with original investigations from the David J. Apple International Laboratory for Ocular Pathology.

CONCLUSIONS.—

Glistenings and subsurface nanoglistenings should be evaluated in a hydrated state and at room temperature; they manifest as microvacuoles sized from 1.0 to greater than 25.0 μm and less than 200 nm, respectively. Calcification deposits are situated on or underneath the surface of the IOL and can be stained with a 1% alizarin red solution or with the von Kossa method. Snowflake degeneration manifests as "particles" or "crystals," causing whitish IOL discoloration. Scanning electron microscopy or energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy may improve the diagnostic accuracy.

[Evolution of IOL exchange. Part 1. Development of methods for IOL exchange]

The review presents the history of development and improvement of methods for intraocular lens (IOL) exchange. Existing techniques of IOL exchange are comparatively analyzed.

Indications and Outcomes for the Removal of Intraocular Lens Implants in a Retinal Surgery Practice

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To describe the reasons for and clinical outcomes of intraocular lens (IOL) removal, with or without exchange, in the setting of retina surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective, noncomparative, consecutive, interventional case series of patients undergoing IOL removal at an academic referral center performed by a single surgeon between 2002 and 2013. Data collected included baseline patient characteristics, visual acuity (VA), type of IOL, reason for IOL removal, and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 63 eyes with IOL removal. Of these, 51 (81%) were left aphakic. For cases of IOL opacification or dislocated IOL (56), the decision to remove was made for 35 (63%) during concurrent retinal surgery due to obstruction in visualization. Overall, the most common reason for removal of the IOL was IOL opacities in 42 eyes (67%), followed by nonspecific nature of opacities (n = 19; 45%), oil artifact (n = 17; 40%), opaque nonvascular membranes (n = 4; 10%), and fibrovascular proliferation (n = 2; 5%). Other causes for removal were IOL dislocation (n = 14; 22%), endophthalmitis (n = 7; 11%), and broken IOL haptic (n = 1; 2%). The composition of the 42 IOLs with opacification included 19 (45%) silicone, 14 (33%) unspecified, five (12%) polymethyl methacrylate, and four acrylic (10%). From the 17 IOLs removed due to oil opacification, 15 (83%) were silicone, and two (17%) were unspecified. Postoperative complications included recurrent retinal detachment (n = 13; 21%), hypotony (n = 8; 13%), phthisis bulbi (n = 8; 13%), corneal edema (n = 7; 11%), cystoid macular edema (n = 5; 8%), elevated intraocular pressure (n = 3; 5%), vitreous hemorrhage (n = 3; 5%), hyphema (1; 2%), anterior synechiae (1; 2%), and subretinal hemorrhage (1; 2%) The mean (SD) immediate, 3 months, and final best-corrected VA in logMAR were 2.18 (0.47), 1.85 (0.82), and 1.97 (0.85).

CONCLUSION

The vitreoretinal surgeon must be prepared for IOL removal, especially if IOL opacification and dislocation compromise the view or capability to achieve primary retinal reattachment objectives. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2019;50:504-508.].

Population-based Incidence of Intraocular Lens Exchange in Olmsted County, Minnesota

PURPOSE

To determine the population-based incidence of pseudophakic intraocular lens exchange in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

DESIGN

Retrospective review of a population-based cohort.

METHODS

Patients undergoing pseudophakic intraocular lens exchange in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between January 1, 1986 and December 31, 2016 were identified from the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical record linkage system. Indications and outcomes were determined, and the incidence rate was calculated as cases per 1 000 000 person-years. Poisson regression analysis was used to assess changes in incidence over time, and the cumulative probability of needing a lens exchange was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis.

RESULTS

Eighty cases of intraocular lens exchange were identified, yielding an overall age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate of 28.4 per million (confidence interval [CI], 22.1-34.7), which increased over the study period (P = .04). The 30-year cumulative probability of intraocular lens exchange among patients undergoing cataract surgery was 1.5% (CI, 0.6%-2.4%), increasing at a relatively constant rate. Dislocated lenses accounted for 72.5% of lens exchanges. Unplanned refractive outcome of primary cataract surgery and uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema syndrome from squared-edged haptics emerged as newer indications for intraocular lens exchange.

CONCLUSIONS

The population-based incidence of pseudophakic intraocular lens exchange has increased over the last 30 years, and can be explained by the increase in incidence rate of cataract surgery over the same period. Surgeons should be aware of emerging indications of intraocular lens exchange, which reflect changes in lens design and increasing expectations of refractive outcomes.

[Results of secondary retropupillary-fixated intraocular lens implantation]

Surgical treatment of intraocular lens (IOL) with late dislocation remains one of the current problems of ophthalmology.

PURPOSE

To evaluate specific morphofunctional changes in the eye after dislocated IOL exchange with retropupillary-fixated iris-claw IOL.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Surgical outcomes of 150 patients (150 eyes) with in-the-bag IOL dislocation (122 eyes) or sulcus-fixated IOL dislocation (28 eyes) were analyzed. The follow-up period was 1-3 years.

RESULTS

Increase in visual acuity and stable retropupillary fixation of the IOL was observed in all cases after reimplantation. Mean endothelial cell loss after 3 months was 6.9±1.3% in the group with preoperative density of >1200 cells/mm² and 12.3±2.7% in the group with preoperative density of <1200 cells/mm². There was no significant increase in intraocular pressure after IOL reimplantation. The incidence of clinical cystoid macular edema with decreased visual acuity was 4.7%, which is significantly more frequent than in patients after uncomplicated phacoemulsification with in-the-bag IOL implantation.

CONCLUSION

Retropupillary implantation of iris-claw IOL provides stable fixation, good functional outcomes with low complication rates and is suitable for reimplantation in eyes without adequate capsular support.