Complications after primary and secondary transsclerally sutured posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation.

This retrospective study analyses and compares early complications during the first month after primary and secondary posterior chamber implantation of transsclerally sutured IOL. The analysis covered medical records of 65 patients who underwent posterior chamber implantation of transsclerally sutured IOL at the Eye Clinic in Rijeka between 1998 and 2003. In 30 patients (group 1) lenses were implanted in one eye during complicated cataract surgery (primary implantation), whereas 35 patients (group 2) had lenses implanted afterwards (secondary implantation). There were 77 early complications, equally represented in both groups, i.e. 40 in (51.9%) the first and 37 (48.1%) in the second group. The most frequent complications were: vitreous hemorrhages 24.7% (14.3% and 10.4%), cystoid macular edema 19.5% (9.1% and 10.4%), keratopathy 14.3% (6.5% and 7.8%), pupil distortion 11.7% (9.1% and 2.6%), IOL decentration and tilt 10.4% (6.5% and 3.9%), high intraocular pressure 9.1% (2.6% and 6.5%), inflammation 6.5% (2.5% and 3.9%). Retinal and choroidal detachment had low incidence: 2.6% (1.3% and 1.3%) and 1.3% (0% and 1.3%) respectively. As concerns early complications, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups, except for pupil distortion, which was more frequent in primary IOL implantation (p = 0.045). After primary implantation of IOL, the average visual acuity was 0.38 +/- 0.27, whereas after secondary implantation visual acuity was 0.52 +/- 0.21. The difference was not statistically significant.

Earlier detection of amblyopia and strabismus by ophthalmologic screening card attached to the vaccination card.

BACKGROUND: In 1983, in Rijeka, Croatia, an ophthalmologic screening card was introduced for the detection and prevention of ophthalmologic diseases, including amblyopia and strabismus, in children. The card was attached to the vaccination card. The main goal of this study was to investigate whether this model of screening decreased the age at which children were first admitted to our Department of Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology. METHODS: We randomly selected 100 of the 225 children who underwent examination for the first time in the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus of a clinical hospital centre in Rijeka in 1980, and 100 of the 412 examined for the first time in 1990. Only children aged 5 years or less who were born in the maternity hospital in Rijeka were included in the study. We reviewed the records for these groups, noting the sex, age, diagnosis, refraction and visual acuity. RESULTS: The average age of the children examined in 1980 was 4.4 (standard deviation 1.4) years, compared with 2.5 (standard deviation 1.2) years in 1990, a statistically significant difference (p < 0.01, Student's t-test). In 1980, 17% of the children were under 3 years, compared with 80% in 1990 (p << 0.01). INTERPRETATION: The ophthalmologic screening card contributed to reducing the age at which strabismus and amblyopia are detected. This method of detection has been applied to the entire child population, and detection is performed continuously.