INTRAOPERATIVE MIOTICS AND POSTERIOR CAPSULAR OPACIFICATION FOLLOWINGPHACOEMULSIFICATION WITH INTRAOCULAR-LENS INSERTION

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Posterior capsular opacification (PCO) is a frequent complication following phacoemulsification with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. A series of consecutive patients receiving ca psular bag-fixated, silicone IOL implants were assessed for both incid ence of PCO and the administration of intraoperative miotics. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During a 5-year period, 477 consecutive eyes were retros pectively evaluated. Surgeries were grouped according to intraoperativ e miotic agent: 0.01% carbachol or 1.0% acetylcholine. Patients receiv ing no miotic drug served as a control group. Yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser posterior capsulotomy was performed on patients with clini cally significant PCO. RESULTS: The percentage of eyes requiring YAG l aser capsulotomy was similar for the three groups: 21.6% (25 of 91) fo r the carbachol group, 18.4% (14 of 62) for the acetylcholine group, a nd 18.6% (53 of 232) for the control group. A chi-squared analysis ind icated that the difference among the groups was not statistically sign ificant. The three groups also had similar average follow-up times bet ween surgery and YAG capsulotomy (carbachol group = 52.2 weeks, acetyl choline group = 47.5 weeks, and control group = 48.3 weeks). CONCLUSIO N: Intraocular miotics donor increase the incidence of PCO.