Nd:YAG Capsulotomy after Phacoemulsification in Vitrectomized Eyes: Effects of Pars Plana Vitrectomy on Posterior Capsule Opacification

Abstract

To compare the progression of posterior capsule opacification (PCO) in patients who required Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy following either combined cataract surgery with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV; C-CV), sequential cataract surgery after PPV (S-CV), or cataract surgery alone (CA). The medical records of 321 patients (408 eyes) who underwent Nd:YAG capsulotomy were retrospectively evaluated. The CA group had a significantly longer time interval from cataract surgery to capsulotomy than that of both the CV group(P=0.006)and the S-CV(P=0.013)and C-CV(P=0.042)subgroups when age-matched comparisons were used. CV patients who implanted a hydrophobic acrylic IOL had shorter time intervals than those of CA patients(P=0.028). CV patients had larger hazard of earlier capsulotomy than CA patients (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.337; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.100–1.625;P=0.004). C-CV and S-CV patients both had larger hazard than CA patients in earlier capsulotomy (HR=1.304; 95%CI=1.007–1.688;P=0.044,HR=1.361; 95%  CI=1.084–1.709;P=0.008, resp.). PCO progresses more rapidly in patients undergoing combined or sequential cataract surgery and PPV than in patients undergoing CA.