Refractive Outcome In Patients With Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma And Primary Open Angle Glaucoma After An Uneventful Phacoemulsification

The large refractive error could be the reason for patients’ dissatisfaction due to inadequate visual acuity after successfully performing cataract surgery. The purpose of the study was to compare a refractive outcome after phacoemulsification between patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (XFG) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Clinic of ophthalmology, University clinical center Kragujevac, Serbia

Retrospective review of 87 glaucoma patients (41 XFG and 46 POAG) who underwent uneventful cataract surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.  Patients were examined and analyzed six months after phacoemulsification. A postoperative refractive error higher than 1 diopter (D) compared to preoperative target refraction was considered to be significant (p<0.05). A refraction status was measured using an automatic refractor (Huvitz HRK 9000A, Yeonggi-do, 14055, Republic of Korea).

The mean postoperative refractive error in the XFG group was 0.74 ± 0.38 D while in the POAG group was 0.56 ± 0.21 D six months after phacoemulsification. In 10 patients from the XFG group and 6 patients from the POAG group, we measured a statistically significant refractive error (p<0.05). 

Our results indicate that significant postoperative refractive error occurred more often in the XFG group compared to the POAG group. That result could be explained by the fact that pseudoexfoliation is related to preoperative zonular weakness. This may cause certain IOL instability in the capsular bag and subsequent higher refractive error.