Postoperative refraction and anterior chamber depth after complicated cataract surgery with vitreous loss and transscleral suture fixation of posterior chamber lenses.

The postoperative refraction and anterior chamber depth of 50 eyes that had complicated cataract extraction with vitreous loss were compared with those of 25 fellow eyes (that had uncomplicated cataract extraction) of the same patients. Transscleral suture fixation of the posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC-IOL) was required in 34 of the 50 study eyes; the lens was implanted onto the remaining defective capsule in the remaining 16. The anterior chamber depth was significantly deeper after transscleral suture fixation of the PC-IOL (mean, 0.54 mm; P < .01). The difference between the refraction of the eyes with transscleral suture fixation and that of the control eyes was +0.58 diopters. Although each surgeon should assess specific results and modify the lens calculations accordingly, we have found that with our technique, for eyes that have required transscleral suture fixation of a PC-IOL, +0.50 D should be added to the calculated IOL power.