Vitreous haemorrhage after cataract extraction.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Outcomes
• Vitreoretinal Pathology

Background:

• Cataract extraction is a common surgical procedure.
• Vitreous hemorrhage is a potential postoperative complication.
• Understanding the incidence and causes of vitreous hemorrhage is crucial for improving surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the incidence of vitreous hemorrhage after intracapsular cataract extraction (ICCE) and extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE).
• To investigate factors associated with vitreous hemorrhage, including operative hyphaema and iridectomy.
• To explore the potential role of chymotrypsin in reducing vitreous hemorrhage during ICCE.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 100 eyes undergoing ICCE and 100 eyes undergoing ECCE.
• Postoperative examination within one week and again at 6-10 weeks using indirect ophthalmoscopy.
• Statistical analysis to determine the relationship between vitreous hemorrhage and operative factors.

Main Results:

• Vitreous hemorrhage occurred in 36% of ICCE eyes versus 13% of ECCE eyes.
• Vitreous hemorrhage was significantly associated with operative hyphaema (p < 0.01).
• Chymotrypsin use significantly reduced vitreous hemorrhage in the ICCE group (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• ECCE is associated with a lower incidence of postoperative vitreous hemorrhage compared to ICCE.
• Operative hyphaema is a significant risk factor for vitreous hemorrhage.
• Zonular traction may contribute to certain types of vitreous and retinal hemorrhages, and chymotrypsin may mitigate this risk in ICCE.