Postoperative intraocular pressure rise in aphakic and pseudophakic eyes at the Rawalpindi general hospital

Out of a total of 915 patients, ranging in age from 40 to 65, who underwent unilateral cataract extraction [intraocular, 54 eyes, planned extracapsular, 715 eyes, and extracapsular with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation, 146 eyes], 549 [60%] did not return for follow-up. In 366 patients who kept their follow-up appointment, we carefully monitored postoperative intraocular pressure [IOP]. In first two postoperative weeks, IOP remained elevated to 22-30 mmHg in 14 [5%] and to higher than that in seven [3%] of the extracapsularly aphakic eyes. In pseudophakic eyes, IOP elevation to 22-30 mmHg occurred in 16 [20%] eyes and to more than that in six [7%] eyes. In 29 intracapsular cataract extractions, no eye developed postoperative IOP elevation. All of the eyes in our study had normal IOP [<21 mmHg] before surgery. Overall, out of a total of 366 post-cataract extraction eyes, 43 [12%] showed a significant rise in IOP in first two postoperative weeks. Retained lens matter in pseudophakic eyes and postoperative inflammation in extracapsularly aphakic eyes were the most common causes of IOP elevation. Papillary block glaucoma occurred in three extracapsularly aphakic eyes, two of these with a posterior chamber implant [Pakistan Journal of Ophthalmology 8:43-44, April, 1992]