Cataract surgery in Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis

Eighteen eyes in 17 patients with Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis underwent cataract extraction with or without intraocular lens implantation (17 extracapsular and one intracapsular). Intraoperative complications included hyphaema, poor pupillary dilatations, and localised zonule dehiscence with vitreous loss. Only four eyes developed a marked anterior uveitus (two pseudophakic and two aphakic) which resolved within 2 weeks with topical steroids. Three eyes developed a rise in intraocular pressure (IOP) to more than 30 mm Hg on the first postoperative day. In all three eyes the IOP returned to normal off all therapy within 1 week. In one of three eyes preoperative glaucoma was made worse following surgery. Visual acuity testing revealed that 15 eyes (83.3%) achieved 6/12 vision or better. Lamellar macular hole, pre-existing macular scar, and pre-existing retinal detachment accounted for the poor visual result.