Ultrasound Biomicroscopy in Scleral Fixation Using Gore-Tex Suture of a Subluxated Posterior Chamber Intraocular Lens

The aim of our study was to assess the outcome of Gore-Tex sutures in minimally invasive scleral fixation of subluxated posterior chamber intraocular lenses (PCIOLs) and to demonstrate a method for validating the lens position.

Retrospective study of patients who underwent lasso in-the-bag scleral fixation of a subluxated PCIOL using the snare technique with Gore-Tex suture from 2019 to 2021 in a single tertiary medical center. Functional outcome was analyzed by clinical assessment, and anatomical outcome, by ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM).

A total of 18 eyes were included. The mean duration of follow-up was 140 days (range 23-659), and the median time from PCIOL implantation to fixation was 8.5 years (IQR 6.25-10.75). All patients had ocular comorbidities, mainly glaucoma (n = 6) and pseudoexfoliation syndrome (n = 5). Best corrected visual acuity improved from a median of 6/30 (0.7 logMAR) to a median of 6/12 (0.35 logMAR) (p = 0.06); postoperative astigmatism measured 0.91 ± 2.19 diopters. UBM demonstrated well-balanced PCIOL fixation with no difference between the horizontal and vertical tilt measurements (p = 0.84; p = 0.94; p = 0.62; p = 0.085). The fixated PCIOL showed <10% decentration with reference to the visual axis. There was a high negative correlation between BCVA improvement and residual lens tilt (r = -0.76, p = 0.037). Postoperative complications included transient ocular hypertension (n = 3), corneal decompensation with subsequent keratoplasty (n = 3), temporary hypotony (n = 2), cystoid macular edema (n = 1), suture exposure (n = 1), and endophthalmitis (n = 1).

Subluxated PCIOLs are amenable to treatment with minimally invasive fixation using Gore-Tex suture with good anatomic outcomes. UBM image analysis may serve as a valuable method for assessing PCIOL position following scleral fixation.