Comparison of simultaneous vs sequential pars plana vitrectomy and cataract surgery

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Innovation
• Retinal Surgery

Background:

• Comparing clinical outcomes of sequential versus simultaneous pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and cataract extraction (CE) surgeries.
• Evaluating three surgical approaches: sequential PPV/CE, simultaneous PPV+CE, and sequential CE/PPV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the optimal timing and sequence for combining PPV and CE procedures.
• To assess the impact of surgical sequencing on visual and refractive outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 427 eyes from 404 patients (March 2016 - May 2021).
• Assessed uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), spherical equivalent (SEQ), and refractive prediction error (RPE) up to 2 years post-surgery.
• Compared visual and refractive outcomes between sequential and simultaneous PPV and CE groups.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences in CDVA were observed between groups at 1 and 12 months postoperatively (P < 0.001 and P = 0.04, respectively).
• Subgroup analysis for epiretinal membrane or vitreous opacities showed no significant difference in SEQ or RPE at combined 1 and 3-month visits.

Conclusions:

• Simultaneous PPV and CE offer similar visual acuity and refractive outcomes compared to sequential surgeries.
• The study supports simultaneous PPV and CE as a viable alternative with comparable safety and efficacy profiles.