Cataract Surgery Results in Improved BCVA in Patients with Retinis Pigmentosa

Alberta Thiadens, MD, PhD

Significant improvements in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were observed in patients with retinis pigmentosa (RP) who underwent cataract surgery in a new investigation from The Netherlands.

The results were featured at the Netherlands Ophthalmological Society (NOG) Annual Congress during the session, “Evaluation of visual outcome following cataract surgery in patients with retinis pigmentosa”.

For this study, an investigative team led by Alberta Thiadens, MD, PhD, of the Department of Ophthalmology at Erasmus University Medical Center, evaluated the visual outcome and predictive factors of visual outcome in patients affected by RP who underwent cataract surgery.

The team utilized international, retrospective, and medical records of patients with RP who participated in the surgery, which featured data on preoperative, intraoperative, and post-operative measurements. These data were collected and analyzed regarding their association with visual outcome.

In total, the study featured 295 eyes of 225 patients, with the mean age of surgery of the first eye being 56.1 years.

Following cataract surgery, investigators noted that BCVA had improved from 1.03 logMAR (SD0.79, 20/214 Snellen) to 0.81 logMAR (SD0.87;20/129 Snellen) in the first eye, and from 0.80 logMAR (SD0.71; 20/126 Snellen) to 0.56 logMAR (SD0.61;20/73 Snellen) in the second eye (P<0.001).

Meanwhile, logistic regression analysis determined that preoperative BCVA was predictive of improvements in BCVA following surgery (odds ratio = 3.2) (P<0.001). Common intraoperative and postoperative complications included zonulysis (5%) and the exacerbation of cystoid macular edema (5%).

Overall, significant improvements in BCVA were identified in a majority of patients who underwent cataract surgery, with preoperative BCVA being the main predictive factor of improvement.

“Preoperative assessment should focus on the identification of weakened zonular attachments and CME, as they are common, and may increase the risk for complications.”