Surgical outcomes of 23-gauge transconjunctival pars plana vitrectomy combined with lensectomy for glaucomatous eyes with extremely shallow anterior chamber and cataract

Background: Glaucoma combined with an extremely shallow anterior chamber and cataracts remains as a complex condition to deal with. And the emergence of microincision vitrectomy surgery (MIVS) system may provide an ideal option for the treatment of that. We report a clinical study of surgical outcomes of 23-gauge transconjunctival pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) combined with lensectomy in the treatment of glaucomatous eyes with extremely shallow anterior chamber and cataract. Methods: Prospective, nonrandomized and noncomparative case series study. Consecutive patients with secondary glaucoma, extremely shallow anterior chamber and cataract were recruited to have combined surgeries of 23-gauge transconjunctival pars plana vitrectomy and lensectomy. The main outcomes were best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), anterior chamber depth (ACD), number of anti-glaucoma medications and surgery-associated complications. Results: Seventeen consecutive patients with secondary glaucoma, extremely shallow anterior chamber and cataract were recruited. The mean follow-up was 21.2 +/- 8.8 months. Postoperatively, there was no significant improvement of BCVA (P = 0.25). The mean intraocular (IOP) decreased significantly from 43.14 +/- 6.53 mmHg to 17.29 +/- 1.80 mmHg (P < 0.001), and the mean depth of anterior chamber increased significantly from 0.507 +/- 0.212 mm to 3.080 +/- 0.313 mm (P < 0.001). The mean number of anti-glaucoma medications decreased from 4.1 +/- 0.8 to 0.6 +/- 0.8 (P < 0.001). No severe vision-threatening intra- or post-operative complications occurred. Conclusions: Glaucoma with an extremely shallow anterior chamber and cataract can be managed well with the combined surgeries of 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy and lensectomy. The surgical procedure is an effective and safe method to resolve the pupillary block and deepen the anterior chamber.