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Cataract Surgery Outcomes in Retinitis Pigmentosa A Comparative Clinical Database Study
Michalis Georgiou1, Ahmed F Shakarchi2, Abdelrahman M Elhusseiny2
1From the Jones Eye Institute (M.G., A.F.S., A.M.E., A.B.S.), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology (M.G., M.M.), University College London, London, UK; Moorfields Eye Hospital (M.G., M.M.), London, UK.
Purpose:
To report visual acuity (VA) outcomes, intraoperative and postoperative complications of isolated cataract surgery in eyes with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), compared with non-RP-affected eyes.
Design:
Retrospective clinical cohort study.
Methods:
A total of 113,389 eyes underwent cataract surgery between July 2003 and March 2015 at 8 clinical sites in the United Kingdom. Eyes with RP as the only comorbid pathology and eyes without any ocular comorbidities (controls) undergoing cataract surgery were compared. VA at 4 to 12 weeks postoperatively and rates of intraoperative and postoperative complications are reported.
Results:
Seventy-two eyes had RP. The mean age in the RP group was 57 ± 15 compared to 75 ± 10 in controls (P < .001). Females represented 46% of RP cases and 60% of controls (P = .06). Preoperative VA (mean LogMAR = 1.03 vs 0.59, P < .001) and postoperative VA (0.71 vs 0.14, P < .001) were worse in RP group. The mean VA gain was 0.25 ± 0.60 LogMAR in RP vs 0.43 ± 0.48 LogMAR in controls (P < .001). There were no significant differences in the rate of intraoperative pupil expansion use, posterior capsular tears, or zonular dialysis. Postoperative cystoid macular edema developed in 6.9% of RP eyes and 1% of controls (P < .001). The need for IOL repositioning or exchange was not statistically different between the two groups.
Conclusion:
Cataract surgery can improve vision in eyes with RP and cataract. Intraoperative complications were similar to control eyes; however, RP eyes experienced more frequent postoperative cystoid macular edema.
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