ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe postoperative complications and visual outcomes after immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) and to assess whether additional risk is incurred by operating on the fellow eye immediately following the first. ANIMALS STUDIED: A retrospective review of 128 dogs (256 eyes) that underwent ISBCS in three veterinary ophthalmology centers between May 2007 and December 2011 was performed. PROCEDURE: Visual status at final evaluation was recorded and intra- and postoperative complications were recorded and analyzed. Data for the first operated eye (FE) and then the second eye (SE) were statistically analyzed to assess whether performing surgery on the SE immediately after the FE resulted in any negative consequences for the second eye. RESULTS: No serious intraoperative anesthetic incident occurred due to prolonged surgery. Phacoemulsification times were significantly shorter for the SE than for the FE. On final examination, 239 eyes out of 256 (93.36%) exhibited functional vision (score 2), and three dogs were completely blind due to long-term bilateral postoperative complications. The most common postoperative complications were uveitis (58 eyes, 22.66%), postoperative ocular hypertension (POH; nine eyes, 3.5%), glaucoma (nine eyes, 3.5%) and total retinal detachment (seven eyes, 2.73%). No case of endophthalmitis was reported. These results were no worse than those typically reported for unilateral phacoemulsification. In addition, the risk of blindness and other postoperative complications was not significantly increased in the SE. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that ISBCS is not associated with an increased incidence of intra- or postoperative complications compared to classic unilateral cataract surgery and might be a viable option for selected patients. The risk of blindness or postoperative complications was not higher in SEs than in FEs.
Subject(s)
Cataract Extraction/methods , Cataract Extraction/veterinary , Animals , Blindness/etiology , Blindness/surgery , Blindness/veterinary , Cataract/complications , Cataract/veterinary , Cataract Extraction/adverse effects , Cataract Extraction/statistics & numerical data , Dogs , Intraoperative Complications/epidemiology , Phacoemulsification/adverse effects , Postoperative Complications/epidemiology , Postoperative Complications/etiology , Retrospective Studies , Visual Acuity/physiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To describe the efficacy of porcine small intestinal submucosa in corneal reconstructive surgery in dogs and cats through a large retrospective study. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation of 106 cases of surgical reconstruction of the cornea with small intestinal submucosa seen between May 2005 and January 2010 was carried out. The corneal defect was filled by microsurgical grafting of porcine small intestinal submucosa. The biomaterial implant was deposited in one or several layers depending on the depth of the defect. The animals were examined 3, 6 and 12 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: Vision was preserved in all eyes at three months post-surgery. In 74 cases (69.8%) the corneal scar was either transparent or discrete, whilst in 32 cases (30.2%) a mild or marked scar was observed. Minor complications occurred in 9 cases (8.5%) with partial integration of the small intestinal submucosa and in 24 cases (22.6%) with faint or mild corneal pigmentation, without impairing vision. In cases followed over a period longer than three months, major complications occurred in five dogs resulting in vision impairment because of pronounced pigmentation. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Corneal grafting of porcine small intestinal submucosa is an effective method for corneal reconstruction resulting in corneal transparency in most cases. It is an excellent alternative to conventional conjunctival grafts.
