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Vitrectomy Linked To Nuclear Sclerosis Progression

Vitrectomy increases the risk of nuclear sclerosis progression, however, the duration does not further increase the risk.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, and University of Southern California, Los Angeles, scored nuclear sclerosis and posterior subcapsular cataracts in 74 eyes that underwent vitrectomy. The contra-lateral eye acted as the control. They scored the eyes at baseline as well as six, 12 and 24 months following the operation using a scheme similar to the Lens Opacities Classification System II.

After six months, nuclear sclerosis progressed in 81 percent of eyes that underwent vitrectomy, compared to 18 percent of control eyes. The proportion in which nuclear sclerosis progressed increased to 98 and 100 percent after one and two years in the vitrectomy eyes respectively, compared to 20 and 8 percent of control eyes.

Around 11 percent of eyes that underwent vitrectomy showed posterior subcapsular cataract progression throughout the study. This did not reach statistical significance compared to the 3 to 5 percent incidence in the control eyes.


This suggests that undergoing vitrectomy is associated with the risk of progression of nuclear sclerosis. Vitrectomy was also associated with the likelihood of cataract extraction. However, surgical duration, age, blood pressure and refractive power did not seem to predict progression.
American Journal of Ophthalmology 2001;132:881-887. "Duration of vitrectomy and postoperative cataract in the vitrectomy for macular hole study"

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