Iris Fixation for Intraocular Lens Dislocation: Relocation with Iris Suture Versus Exchange to Sutureless Iris Claw...

Background/Objectives: To compare the clinical outcome of suture and sutureless iris fixation techniques for dislocated intraocular lenses (IOLs). Methods: Retrospective cohort study including patients who underwent surgery for late IOL dislocation over a 10-year period. IOL repositioning was achieved either by suturing the original IOL to the iris using the Siepser slipknot technique or by replacing it with a retropupillary sutureless iris claw IOL. Data collected during surgery included the type of dislocation, the need for anterior or posterior vitrectomy, duration of surgery, and intraoperative complications. Six months after surgery we assessed the eye and iris anatomy; refraction, astigmatism, and visual acuity; endothelial cell damage; and rate of postoperative complications. Results: Included in the study were 60 patients: 32 underwent IOL relocation and 28 underwent IOL exchange. Pseudoexfoliation (43.7% and 39.3%) and retinal surgery (34.4% and 28.6%) were identified as the main possible causes for IOL dislocation. The mean duration of the surgery was 62.9 ± 14.9 min for the Relocation group, and was 42.7 ± 11.4 min for the Exchange group (p < 0.001), with similar low intraoperative complication rates (6.25% and 7.14%, respectively). The studied parameters showed no differences between the two groups postoperatively, except for corneal astigmatism which was 1.31 ± 0.45 D in the Relocation group and was 1.89 ± 0.86 D in the Exchange group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Both suture and sutureless iris fixation techniques for dislocated IOLs yielded similarly favorable outcomes in this study. IOL relocation resulted in less postoperative astigmatism, while IOL exchange offered the advantage of shorter surgical time.