Pars plana vitrectomy and scleral-fixated intraocular lenses: comparison of Gore-Tex suture and flanged intrascleral haptic fixation techniques

To compare clinical outcomes of combined pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and secondary scleral fixation of an intraocular lens (IOL) using Gore-Tex suture versus flanged intrascleral haptic fixation (FIHF) using double needles. Single-centre retrospective cohort series. Eyes undergoing PPV with simultaneous scleral fixation of an IOL. Eyes that underwent fixation of a Bausch & Lomb Akreos AO60 or enVista MX60E IOL using Gore-Tex suture or a Tecnis ZA9003 or Zeiss CT LUCIA 602 IOL using FIHF were included. The primary outcome was change from baseline visual acuity to postoperative month 3. Secondary outcomes included deviation from refractive target aim and rates of postoperative complications. Seventy-nine eyes of 72 patients were included. Mean (±SD) follow-up was 16 ± 10.5 months (range, 4.5–45.2 months). Fifty-three eyes (67.1%) underwent Gore-Tex suture fixation, and 26 eyes (32.9%) underwent FIHF. Across all eyes, mean visual acuity improved from 1.30 ± 0.74 logMAR (20/399 Snellen equivalent) preoperatively to 0.36 ± 0.36 logMAR (20/45 Snellen equivalent) at 3 months (p < 0.001). No difference in visual acuity at month 3 was noted between the 2 techniques (p = 0.34). Mean deviation from refractive target aim was not significantly different between the Gore-Tex and FIHF groups (+0.14 ± 1.33 D vs –0.16 ± 0.88 D; p = 0.45). Reoperation rates were similar between groups (2 of 53 eyes in the Gore-Tex group vs 3 of 26 eyes in the FIHF group; p = 0.32). Combined PPV and scleral fixation of IOLs with Gore-Tex suture and FIHF resulted in similar improvements in visual acuity. No significant differences in refractive outcome and postoperative complication profiles were noted.