Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in high myopia.
Methods: Phacoemulsification with implantation of a foldable IOL or a PMMA rigid IOL was performed on 28 eyes of 21 patients with senile, complicated or congenital cataracts through a 3.2 mm small scleral tunnel incision or through a 5.5 mm incision respectively. The average age of the patients was 51.32 years (21 - 70 years). The mean axial length was (27.56 +/- 1.21) mm (26.00 - 33.41 mm). The mean keratometry was (43.38 +/- 1.36) D (42.00 - 46.54 D). The mean diopter of IOL was (+ 9.59 +/- 3.65) D (+ 4.00 - + 15.00 D).
Results: Postoperatively, the uncorrected or corrected visual acuity 0.5 or better at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months was in 63.6%, 86.4%, 95.5% and 95.2% patients respectively; the patients having achieved the best visual acuity of 1.0 or better were accounted for 9.1%, 31.8%, 50.0% and 57.1% respectively.
Conclusions: Phacoemulsification and the posterior chamber IOL implantation offers the advantages of rapid and better rehabilitation of visual acuity and more stabilization of postoperative astigmatism in patients with high myopia; whereas for eyes with the axial lengths over 30 mm, the recovery of the visual acuity was less satisfactory.