Post-operative outcomes in canine eyes receiving a rhexis-fixated prosthetic intra-ocular lens: 30 cases (2014-2020)

To report the outcomes following the insertion of a rhexis-fixated prosthetic intraocular lens (IOL) in dogs undergoing lens removal.

The results are from 30 eyes of 28 dogs, undergoing lendectomy, in which the lens capsule could not accommodate a conventional prosthetic endo-capsular IOL. The reported cases had sustained either spontaneous or traumatic lens capsule rupture, or accidental intra-operative iatrogenic lens capsule disruption, or had required a planned, large, anterior or posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis, all of which precluded insertion of a prosthetic IOL within the lens capsule. An acrylic IOL (XVET; Medicontur) was modified and positioned across the anterior and/or posterior capsulorhexes.

Other than haptic luxation in three cases, no complications were seen that were directly attributable to the rhexis-fixated lens. Over a follow-up period from three to 76 months (mean 20.7 months) 26/30 eyes remained visual. Blindness developed in three eyes due to retinal detachment and one eye was enucleated due to regrowth of a ciliary body adenoma.

Rhexis fixation provided an alternative method to implant a prosthetic IOL when the lens capsule was unable to accommodate a conventional endo-capsular IOL.