The prevalence of pseudoexfoliation syndrome in King Hamad University Hospital.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of pseudoexfoliation syndrome in patients with cataracts in King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) and rates of complication in pseudoexfoliation (PXF) patients postoperatively and 2-year follow-up. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on medical records of PXF patients who underwent phacoemulsification and extracapsular cataract extraction in KHUH, Bahrain, between August 31, 2016, and December 30, 2018. RESULTS: From the 458 cases analyzed, there were 17 patients with PXF (3.71%). One patient per-operatively experienced posterior capsular repture (5.88%). Zero patients experienced complication in 2 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: This is the first study investigating the prevalence rate of PXF in Bahrain and rates of complication for PXF patients undergoing cataract surgery. This study contributes to further understanding the epidemiology of this disease and its racial variation, for PXF patients to better understand the rate of risks involved in cataract surgery, and for surgeons to create appropriate surgical plans that help reduce the risk of complications commonly seen in these patients.

Diluting 2.5% Viscoadaptive Sodium Hyaluronate to Prevent Postoperative Intraocular Pressure Rise After Phacoemulsification: A Pilot Study.

The most common complication with intraoperative viscoelastic use is an immediate elevation of intraocular pressure, particularly if the viscoelastic agent remains in the eye, which can cause serious effects. Complications may include severe ocular pain, corneal epithelial edema, and increased risk of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and retinal artery occlusion. This study aims to find an efficient and safe adjunctive method to decrease the incidence of postoperative intraocular pressure rise. When cohesive viscoelastic agents were unavailable due to the pandemic, we diluted Microvisc 2.5% sodium hyaluronate ophthalmic viscosurgical device by 50% prior to intraocular lens implantation. Twelve eyes are included in this study, which are divided into two groups. The study followed a double-blinded methodology in which the physician and the patient were unaware of what group they were in. The first group (seven patients, seven eyes) was treated using the diluted Microvisc 2.5%, and the second group (five patients, five eyes) was controlled with the undiluted Microvisc 2.5%. The primary variable was intraocular pressure, measured at four different timeline points (baseline, day 1, week 1, and month 1). We found that the technique used had easier irrigation and aspiration with minimal viscoelastic agent left in the bag, leading to a lower postoperative intraocular pressure spike. Analysis was conducted using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, and significance was noted between the two groups on postoperative day 1 (p=0.042). The analysis also included the populations' comorbidities (hypertension and diabetes) and postoperative outcomes (pain, corneal edema, and visual acuity).