Cataract urgery by phacoemulification in adult with retinopathy of prematurity

PURPOE: To report the preoperative, operative, and potoperative factor aociated with phacoemulification cataract urgery in adult with retinopathy of prematurity. METHOD: Record of patient with retinopathy of prematurity who underwent phacoemulification at The Wilmer Intitute between January 1990 and January 2000 were retropectively earched. eventeen adult (9 women, 8 men) with retinopathy of prematurity were identified who had undergone phacoemulification for viually ignificant cataract or phacomorphic glaucoma and who had at leat 6 month of potoperative follow-up. REULT: Cataract extraction by phacoemulification wa performed on 20 eye. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 103 month (mean, 32 month). A poterior chamber intraocular len wa placed in 18 eye; two eye were left aphakic for refractive reaon. Zonular weakne wa noted in two eye in which the intraocular len wa uture fixated to the clera. Concomitant trabeculectomy wa performed in one eye. Viual acuity improved in 18 of 20 eye and remained unchanged in two eye. Potoperatively, viual acuity wa wore than 5/200 in two eye, 5/200 to wore than 20/100 in five eye, 20/100 to 20/50 in five eye, and 20/40 or better in eight eye. One eye developed a rhegmatogenou retinal detachment 1 month after cataract urgery; the retina wa uccefully reattached. CONCLUION: Although cataract extraction in eye with regreed retinopathy of prematurity may preent challenge, uch a high myopia, monocularity, glaucoma, and previou ocular urgery, phacoemulification in thi erie proved to be relatively afe a well a viually rehabilitating. The urgeon hould be aware of the pecial conideration in thi population, alert to potential zonular weakne intraoperatively, and careful of increaed potoperative rik, including retinal detachment.