Complications of sulcus-supported intraocular lenses with iris sutures, implanted during penetrating keratoplasty after intracapsular cataract extraction.

In a retrospective study, the authors analyzed visual results and postoperative complications in a series of 14 consecutive patients who had undergone penetrating keratoplasty and implantation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL) in the absence of the posterior capsule. Seven patients suffered from aphakic bullous keratopathy and seven from pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. Postoperative follow-up was 7.6 months on the average. Best-corrected postoperative visual acuity was 20/60 or better in four cases and 20/200 or better in eight. Glaucoma was present before surgery in four eyes, which persisted in all cases and developed in four new cases. Results of gonioscopic examination showed the postoperative development of goniosynechiae in four eyes. Pseudophakodonesis of various extent was present in ten eyes. Preoperatively, cystoid macular edema was diagnosed angiographically in one case. It did not improve after surgery and was seen in three additional eyes postoperatively. Causes for postoperative visual acuity lower than 20/200 were cystoid macular edema in three cases, graft rejection in one case, central retinal scar in one case, and optic nerve atrophy in one case. A distortion of the pupil was seen in three eyes in miosis and in four additional eyes in mydriasis. Corneal thickness as well as anterior chamber depth were within normal limits. Fluorophotometric evaluation of the blood-aqueous barrier showed values comparable with those obtained after intracapsular cataract extraction and implantation of an iris-fixated IOL. Despite the relatively good visual results, the high postoperative incidence of cystoid macular edema and/or glaucoma may discourage the use of this technique.