AAO: Prior Intravitreal Injections Increase Risk for Cataract Surgery Complications

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A history of multiple past intravitreal injections (IVIs) poses a risk for certain future cataract surgery complications, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, held from Oct. 18 to 21 in Chicago.

Winnie Yu, from the University of Toronto, and colleagues used physician billing and diagnostic data from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan to identify 163,663 adults (aged 20 years and older) with retinal conditions who had undergone cataract surgery between 2009 and 2018, of whom 3,243 received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) eye injections prior to surgery. Occurrence of 10 visually significant complication events due to cataract surgery were compared among patients who had a history of IVIs and those who did not.

In patients with prior IVIs, the researchers observed an increased risk for nonclearing vitreous hemorrhage (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 3.37), retained lens fragments (aHR, 2.00), retinal tear (aHR, 3.24), retinal detachment (aHR, 3.63), intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation (aHR, 1.97), anterior vitrectomy (aHR, 1.67), and glaucoma surgery (aHR, 4.03). There was no increased risk for corneal transplants, IOL exchange, or IOL repositioning in patients who had a history of treatment with anti-VEGF medications.

“Findings of this study highlight the importance of preoperative and intraoperative surgical planning in the prevention and management of these possible complications in patients receiving cataract surgery,” Yu said in a statement. “Patients with prior intravitreal injection history should be counselled on the potential risks of cataract surgery to ensure appropriate informed surgical decision-making.”

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