Visual outcome and complications following intracapsular and extracapsular cataract extraction A prospective, controlled follow‐up study

Abstract

We followed two comparable groups of patients operated on for cataract immediately before and after a transition from intracapsular extraction with an anterior chamber lens to extracapsular technique with a posterior chamber lens. Both groups consisting of 69 eyes of 69 patients were invited to follow-up examinations 4 months and 2 1/2 years after surgery. The visual acuity was similar in the two groups at the two follow-up examinations. Significantly more eyes in the intracapsular group showed either a rise in intraocular pressure or received anti-glaucomatous medications at the latest follow-up. YAG-laser capsulotomy had been performed in 14.5% of the 69 extracapsularly operated eyes. There was a trend towards more intra-operative and cumulative post-operative complications in the intracapsular group, but this difference was not statistically significant. We conclude, that both intracapsular and extracapsular cataract extraction are followed by such low incidences of post-operative complications, that it will require a very large number of eyes to confirm or reject a possible statistically significant difference in post-operative complication rate.