Acute intraoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage in extracapsular cataract surgery

The incidence of acute intraoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage (AISH) was studied in 2,839 consecutive extracapsular cataract extraction cases operated by nucleus expression and phacoemulsification. Twenty-five eyes (0.9%) were identified with this complication. Acute intraoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage was defined as the acute accumulation of fluid in the suprachoroidal space which resulted from a presumed suprachoroidal hemorrhage at the time of surgery. Preoperative risk factors for the development of this complication included advanced age and the presence of glaucoma. Sex, controlled hypertension, long axial length, and method of cataract removal could not be identified as significant risk factors. Recognition of the early signs of AISH and initiation of rapid wound closure followed by the completion of secondary operations performed the next day helped to meet the surgical objective and to provide excellent visual results, with 21 eyes (84%) having a visual acuity of 20/30 or better.