Postoperative intraocular pressure rise in open-angle glaucoma patients after cataract or combined cataract-filtration surgery.

Postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured in patients with open-angle glaucoma undergoing extracapsular cataract extraction with a posterior chamber lens implant (ECCE-PC IOL). Patients considered to be under adequate medical glaucoma control had cataract surgery alone or combined with a posterior lip sclerectomy. Patients with medically uncontrolled glaucoma had cataract surgery combined with either a posterior lip sclerectomy or a trabeculectomy. Cataract surgery alone (n = 26) was associated with a significantly (P less than 0.001) increased IOP on postoperative day 1: preoperative IOP, 18.9 +/- 3.6 mmHg; postoperative IOP, 34.2 +/- 12 mmHg. An IOP rise of 10 mmHg or more occurred in 69% of the eyes, whereas 77% of the eyes had an absolute IOP over 25 mmHg. Eyes undergoing combined surgery (n = 42) had a preoperative IOP of 21.3 +/- 4.8 mmHg. On postoperative day 1, the mean IOP was 14.9 +/- 12.0 mmHg. An IOP rise of 10 mmHg or more was observed in 14%, and an IOP over 25 mmHg in 21% of combined surgery eyes. Cataract surgery in eyes with open-angle glaucoma requires careful monitoring and therapy for early postoperative increases in IOP. Combined surgery reduces the frequency and magnitude of, but does not eliminate, this complication.