CATARACT-SURGERY AFTER TRABECULECTOMY

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of cataract surgery on glaucomatous eyes with good intraocular pressure (IOP) control afte r trabeculectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two eyes with functiona l blebs that underwent cataract extraction were retrospectively analyz ed. RESULTS: The mean (+/- SD) preoperative IOP was 11.0 +/- 4.3 mm Hg . The mean (+/- SD) postoperative IOPs at 1, 2, 6, and 9 months were 1 5.5 +/- 4.9, 12.6 +/- 4.7, 14.6 +/- 5.6, and 19.0 +/- 7.9 mm Hg, respe ctively. At each interval except for the second month, the mean IOP wa s statistically significantly higher than the preoperative value (P = .0003, .24, .02, and .0009, respectively). The total number of medicat ions was also higher (3 preoperatively versus 27 postoperatively). The interval between the two surgeries had no influence on IOP control. I ntraoperative complications during cataract surgery, particularly vitr eous loss, were associated with poor IOP control. Phacoemulsification had less of an effect on the postoperative IOP control than did extrac apsular cataract extraction. CONCLUSIONS: Eyes with previous successfu l trabeculectomies had higher IOPs and required more medications after subsequent cataract surgeries.