A pilot study of lens extraction in the management of acute primary angle-closure glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To describe a pilot study of lens extraction in the management of acute primary angle-closure glaucoma (APACG) in Chinese patients.

DESIGN

Interventional case series.

METHODS

A prospective case series of patients presented with APACG at a tertiary eye hospital in Xiamen, China. All the patients had intensive medical treatment followed by immediate phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation under topical anesthesia.

RESULTS

There were 18 patients who were seen with APACG who had phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation under topical anesthesia. There was a 9.0-mm Hg drop in mean preoperative and first day postoperative intraocular pressure (22.8 vs 13.8 mm Hg, P =.012) and a 10.2-mm Hg drop in mean preoperative and seventh-day postoperative intraocular pressure (22.8 vs 13.2 mm Hg, P =.002).

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study indicates that phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation may be useful in the treatment of primary acute angle-closure glaucoma in Chinese patients. Further study with longer follow-up is needed.