ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical results, the selection of time and procedures of surgery and preoperative evaluation of the phacoemulsification or small incision cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation (PSI) in senile cataract patients with cardiovascular disease. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective study in 218 senior patients (255 eyes) with cardiovascular disease, which were treated by PSI in the past 5 years. RESULTS: Thirteen cases (14 eyes) did not have PSI due to surgical contraindication or impossible to tolerate the operation or impossible to obtain an improvement of visual acuity after operation. Two hundred and five cases (241 eyes) with cardiovascular disease were treated with PSI. After follow up for 1 - 18 months (mean 6.3 months), 165 cases (193 eyes) had a best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) equal or more than 20/60 (80.5%); 32 cases (39 eyes) had BCVA of 20/400 or less than 20/60 (15.6%); and 8 cases (9 eyes) had BCVA less than 20/400 (3.9%). There were no severe complications during the operation. One case developed inhalation pneumonia postoperatively and was transferred to internal medicine for rescue. CONCLUSIONS: Senile cataract patients with cardiovascular disease must be evaluated before performing PSI. The advantages of general hospital should be utilized to treat patients with cardiovascular disease before, during and after the operation. The use of sedatives, adrenalin and steroids must be individualized; high-risk patients should be monitored by EKG and supplied by constant inhalation of low dose oxygen to minimize the surgical risk. In senile cataract patients with cardiovascular disease and IV grade or more lens nucleus, small incision cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation is better than phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation.
