Manual small incision cataract surgery in a United Kingdom university teaching hospital setting.

PURPOSE: To assess the complication rates and visual outcomes of manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) in a university teaching hospital setting.

METHOD: Retrospective audit encompassing a 3-year period looking at the visual outcomes, and intraoperative and postoperative complications of planned MSICS performed on brunescent cataracts.

RESULTS

MSICS was performed in 55 eyes of 49 patients. Intraoperatively, zonular dehiscence without vitreous loss occurred in one eye (1.8%), and vitreous loss occurred in one eye (1.8%). Postoperative complications occurred in seven eyes (12.7%). The most common complication was raised intraocular pressure (three eyes, 5.5%). None developed endophthalmitis or dropped nucleus. Mean follow-up duration was 10.0 weeks. In 49 eyes (89.1%), vision improved postoperatively. Sixty five percent achieved a best-corrected vision of 6/12 or better. The mean postoperative astigmatism was significantly higher than preoperatively (1.40D vs. 0.99D, p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

MSICS is safe and effective for dense and brunescent cataracts in a UK university hospital setting. However, it was associated with a statistically significant increase in astigmatism postoperatively.