Severe intra- and postoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze risk factors, therapeutic strategies, and functional and anatomic results of eyes with severe suprach oroidal hemorrhage. Patients: Eight of 11 bleeding episodes occurred intraoperatively and 3/11 postoperatively. Bleeding was associated with the following surgical proced ures: perforating keratoplasty (5 x), extracapsular cataract extraction (3 x), pars plana vitrectomy (2 x), intracapsular cataract extraction (1 x). Results: Nine operations were performed with general anesthesia, two after retrobulbar injection. Ocular risk factors (e.g., prior operations, ocular diseases) and general risk factors (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, diabetes ) were analyzed. At the end of the follow-up time visual acuity had improve d in three eyes, and it was unchanged in one eye and worse in seven eyes. F our eyes were amaurotic; two of them had to be enucleated. Conclusions: In spite of using state-of-the-art surgical techniques the pro gnosis of suprachoroidal bleeding remains serious. Patients who have a comb ination of several ocular and general risk factors almost exclusively are t he ones who afflicted by this complication.