Previous Intravitreal Therapy Is Associated with Increased Risk of Posterior Capsule Rupture during Cataract Surgery

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate if previous intravitreal therapy is a predictor of posterior capsule rupture (PCR) during cataract surgery.

Design: Multicenter, national electronic medical record (EMR) database study with univariate and multivariate regression modeling.

Participants: A total of 65 836 eyes of 44 635 patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Methods: Anonymized data were extracted for eyes undergoing cataract surgery from 20 hospitals using the same EMR for cases performed between 2004 and 2014. Variables included as possible risk indicators for PCR were age, sex, number of previous intravitreal injections, indication for intravitreal therapy, grade of healthcare professional administering intravitreal therapy, advanced cataract, and cataract surgeon grade.

Main outcome measures: Presence or absence of posterior capsular rupture during cataract surgery.

Results: Data were available on 65 836 cataract operations, of which 1935 had undergone previous intravitreal therapy (2.9%). In univariate regression analyses, patient age, advanced cataract, junior cataract surgeon grade, and number of previous intravitreal injections were significant predictors of PCR. By considering the number of previous intravitreal injections as a continuous variable, the odds ratio for PCR per intravitreal injection was 1.04 (P = 0.016) after adjusting for age, advanced cataract, and cataract surgeon grade. Repeat analysis considering intravitreal injections as a categoric variable showed 10 or more previous injections were associated with a 2.59 times higher likelihood of PCR (P = 0.003) after again adjusting for other significant independent predictors.

Conclusions: Previous intravitreal therapy is associated with a higher likelihood of PCR during cataract surgery. This study provides data to help inform surgeons and patients about the risk of complications when undergoing cataract surgery after multiple prior intravitreal injections. Further investigation is required to determine the cause behind the increased PCR risk.