Purpose: To describe the results of a pars plana vitrectomy, combined with phacoemulsification, using a sutureless, superotemporal, clear corneal incision for patients with a macular hole.
Methods: This study reviewed the records of 22 patients (22 eyes) who underwent a phacoemulsification with the insertion of an acrylic intraocular lens, using a 3.2 mm superotemporal clear corneal incision and a pars plana vitrectomy with an internal limiting membrane peeling in one session, for the treatment of a macular hole.
Results: All 22 patients had their macular holes closed using the combined surgical procedures. The mean preoperative visual acuity was 0.086, and the mean postoperative visual acuity was 0.173. This improvement was statistically significant (paired Student's t-test, p < 0.05). No patients developed posterior capsular opacity, retinal detachment, or a cystoid macular edema. The surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) was 0.808 diopters (0.808 +/- 0.761) two months after surgery.
Conclusions: Combining cataract surgery with vitrectomy can achieve visual rehabilitation in the early postoperative period without requiring post-vitrectomy cataract surgery. A sutureless clear corneal incision, used in this procedure, can minimize the SIA and promote postoperative wound healing. If sutureless, transconjunctival, pars plana vitrectomy can be used more widely in the future, then the simplified, combined cataract surgery using a small clear corneal incision will also become more common, hence decreasing operation time, and hastening postoperative recovery.