Scleral Fixation of Intraocular Lens in Aphakic Eyes without Capsular Support: Description of a New Technique

To study the efficacy and safety of a modified trans-scleral intraocular lens (IOL) fixation technique in aphakic eyes when performed by ophthalmologists in training.

The study was conducted in an institutional setting that included 43 surgeries performed by surgeons training in small incision cataract surgeries. The data were analyzed for stability and position of IOL, refractive changes, best-corrected vision, and associated complications.

Mean age of the subjects was 53.8 ± 18.5yrs (range 6-81yrs). Surgical aphakia (58.14%) was the most common cause. The corrected distance visual acuity improved significantly at six weeks (p = 0.0003). The mean residual spectacle correction was +0.74 ± 1.2D spherical equivalent (cylinder -1.6±1.5D at 84 ± 50°) at the 6th-month follow-up (24.35 ± 6.71wks). Lens tilt on ultrasound biomicroscopy (kappa 0.762; p < 0.001) and the IOL centration (kappa 0.411; p = 0.001), assessed by two independent masked observers, were satisfactory at the 6th-month visit. Transient postoperative vitreous hemorrhage was the most common complication (46.5%). Cellular deposits on the IOL surface (18.6%), cystoid macular edema (11.6%), subconjunctival haptic exposure (4.66%), and haptic slippage (2.33%) were the other complications.

This method of trans-scleral IOL fixation is an effective rescue procedure for eyes with deficient capsular support when ophthalmologists perform in training.