The fate of eyes from which intraocular lenses have been removed.

The author removed 26 intraocular lenses in a series of 800 implantations (3.25%). The factors leading to lens removal and the clinical and visual end-results are analyzed and presented in tabular form. The most common factors leading to lens removal were: corneal edema, cystoid macular edema, uveitis, vitreitis, iris erosion/laceration, recurrent dislocation, updrawn pupil, glaucoma and blunt injury. Post-removal complications were: poor wound healing, high astigmatism, amblyopia, cystoid macular edema, retinal vascular occlusion, optic atrophy and phthisis bulbi. The average length of time between lens implantation and removal was 18 months. The vitreous loss rate was 35% during lens removal. On the average, an eye gained two Snellen lines of vision following removal of the offending lens; 69% had the same or better vision post-removal, and 64% of eyes with corneal edema/dystrophy improved.