[Analysis of patients with extraction of open-loop anterior chamber intraocular lenses]

To analyze the cause of flexible open-loop anterior chamber intraocular lenses (AC-IOL) extraction and to evaluate the safety of these lenses implantation.

This retrospective study comprised 28 patients (28 eyes) who had received open-loop AC-IOL extraction from 1999 to 2009 in our hospital. Several factors of these patients were analyzed, including the type of AC-IOL, primary disease, the intraocular duration of AC-IOL, the cause of AC-IOL extraction and therapeutic result.

All of the AC-IOL used were modern flexible open-loop AC-IOL. Twenty one patients were implanted AC-IOL because of ocular trauma; the average intraocular duration of the AC-IOL was (6.1 ± 3.1) years. In the causes of AC-IOL extraction, bullous keratopathy was the most common cause, accounted for 42.9% (12/28); secondary glaucoma, retinal detachment and lens dislocation accounted for 32.1% (9/28), 17.9% (5/28) and 7.1% (2/28), respectively. In the 12 cases with bullous keratopathy, 6 cases just received AC-IOL extraction and the others received penetrate corneal transplantation. Six cases with secondary glaucoma received AC-IOL extraction combined with trabeculectomy.

Bullous keratopathy and secondary glaucoma are the two most common causes for open-loop AC-IOL extraction. The patients who will receive AC-IOL implantation need an adequate selection and must be followed properly.