Suture Breakage Risk Low in IOL Repair Procedure

Long-term risk of polypropylene 10-0 suture breakage after scleral fixation of late in-the-bag intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation is low, according to research published in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. The research shows that the patient’s age is a risk factor for this type of suture breakage, with patients in younger age groups more likely to experience the complication than those who are in an older age group. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective case series that included 192 eyes of 176 patients (53% women, 47% men) to investigate the long-term suture breakage risk. The study included patients who underwent scleral suturing of late in-the-bag IOL dislocation from 2007 to 2016 in the Department of Ophthalmology at Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

The mean postoperative follow-up duration was 6.2 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.7-6.7). Over the course of the study, 56% of patients died. 

The researchers followed patients for a mean postoperative period of 6.2 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.7-6.7). Through the course of the study, 56% of the patients died. The findings of the report show that 6% of eyes had suture breakage that required reoperation, occurring at a mean time of 5.5 years (95% CI, 3.4-7.6) following IOL repositioning. They found that these patients had a lower mean age at the time of the operation than those who did not experience the complication (73.5 vs 81.3 years, respectively; P =.004).

“The long-term risk of suture breakage was quite low after scleral fixation of late in-the-bag IOL dislocation, particularly in the oldest patients,” according to the researchers.

The primary limitations of the study were the retrospective design with no fixed protocol for follow up and lack of detailed clinical data.

Disclosure: One study author declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors’ disclosures.