Combined pars plana vitrectomy-lensectomy and open-loop anterior chamber lens implantation.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effectiveness of open-loop, one-piece, flexible, Kelman-style, all-polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) anterior chamber intraocular lenses (AC IOLs) in patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy surgery for a variety of vitreoretinal disorders.

METHODS

Fifteen patients (6 women and 9 men) underwent combined pars plana vitrectomy with insertion of an open-loop AC IOL. Postoperative results were evaluated.

RESULTS

The average preoperative visual acuity of 20/360 (logMAR scale, 1.25 +/- 0.80) improved to 20/52 (logMAR scale, 0.42 +/- 0.35) after an average follow-up of 10.2 months (range, 1-41 months). Of 15 eyes, 7 (47%) achieved a visual acuity of better than 20/40. There was no evidence of glaucoma exacerbation or corneal decompensation. Visual acuity was limited primarily by chronic cystoid macular edema in 4 (27%) of 15 eyes.

CONCLUSION

In this preliminary series of patients, open-loop, flexible, all-PMMA, Kelman-style AC IOLs appear to be well tolerated and represent a viable, simple alternative to transscleral fixation of a posterior chamber IOL or surgical aphakia in patients undergoing vitrectomy surgery.