Effect of Phacoemulsification on Intraocular Pressure in Eyes with Pseudoexfoliation Single-surgeon Series Polypropylene Suture-guided Valve Tube for Posterior Chamber Implantation in Patients with Pseudophakic Glaucoma

Pseudoexfoliation (PFX) is characterized by the abnormàl production and accumulation of a fibrillar extracellular material with a gray appearance in the anterior segment of the eye and other tissues of the body. It is the most common identifiable cause of open-angle glaucoma, and there is an etio1oical association between PFX and cataract formation. Complication rates for cataract surgery in eyes with PFX are higher than in eyes without PFX. Because of the association of PFX with glaucoma and cataract, there is a need to assess the effect of cataract surgery on intraocular pressure (lOP) in such eyes. Several small series of PFX eyes having phacoemulsification show a small, but significant decrease in lOP after relatively short follow-up. The purpose of this study was to assess the short-term and long-term effects of uneventful phacoemulsification with posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL) implantation for visually significant cataract in a large series of PFX eyes with and without glaucoma using the following parameters: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), IOP, and glaucoma medication requirements.