Reasons for early ocular hypertension after uneventful cataract surgery

To discuss the reasons for and measurements of early ocular hypertension after uneventful phacoemulsification and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.

This was a retrospective review of patients who had early ocular hypertension after cataract surgery from a single-surgeon practice that medications failed to control or required additional surgery from September 2011 to January 2013.

Of the 1270 eyes that had cataract surgery by one surgeon in our department in 16 months, 12 (9.4‰) eyes of 12 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) peak was 41 (range 32-62) mm Hg. The median time of initial onset after cataract surgery was 3.5 days (range 1-60 days). Six eyes had antiglaucoma surgery history. Ahmed valve implantation with mitomycin C (MMC) was applied to 4 eyes. Two eyes underwent 5-fluorouracil needling revision with MMC. The IOP dropped in 3 eyes only in the case that the conventional topical corticosteroid agent was stopped, diagnosed as steroid responders. One eye of a patient with diabetes mellitus (DM) developed pseudophakic pupillary block angle-closure glaucoma due to the plasma glucose fluctuations. The IOP was controlled after Nd:YAG laser iridotomies. Residual cortex caused ocular hypertension in 2 eyes and surgical aspirations were performed. Following monitoring of IOP for 6 to 24 months, all eyes were within the normal range.

Patients with history of glaucoma surgery; high myopia, especially in young age; and DM merit particular observation and treatment for possible IOP elevation following cataract surgery.