CLEAR LENS EXTRACTION AND IMPLANTATION OF NEGATIVE-POWER POSTERIOR CHAMBER INTRAOCULAR LENSES TO CORRECT EXTREME MYOPIA

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness, predictability, and safety of clear lens extraction to correct extreme myopia. Setting: Clinica de N uestra Senora de la Concepcion, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Madrid, Spain. Methods: This retrospective study comprised 26 eyes of 17 highly myop ic patients who had clear lens extraction and implantation of a negati ve-power-posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL). The IOL power was c alculated using the SRK/T formula. Analyzed were visual and refractive results and intraoperative and postoperative complications. Follow-up was at least 12 months in all cases. Results: Uncorrected visual acui ty improved in all cases, with 80.77% of eyes achieving 20/100 or bett er and 42.30%, 20/40 or better. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) improved in 23 eyes (88.46%). The percentage of eyes achievin g a BSCVA of 20/100 or better increased from 73.07% preoperatively to 92.30% postoperatively and the percentage achieving 20/40 or better, f rom 23.07 to 73.07%. Of the 26 eyes 76.91% were within 1.00 diopter (D ) of refractive error and 96.16% were within 2.00 D. No intraoperative complications occurred. Although postoperatively 3 eyes (11.53%) deve loped choroidal detachment and 5 (19.23%) had an intraocular pressure greater than 25 mm Hg, all had a favorable outcome. Four eyes (15.38%) developed posterior capsule opacification and had a neodymium:YAG las er posterior capsulotomy 6 months postoperatively. No retinal detachme nts were observed. Conclusion: Clear lens extraction with negative-pow er IOL implantation using the SRK/T formula had good effectiveness, ac ceptable predictability, and a low morbidity in eyes with extreme myop ia over a short follow-up. A longer follow-up with more cases is neede d to assess the safety of the procedure.