Iris Repair after Long-Term Complications of Angle-Supported Phakic Intraocular Lenses

We report the case of a high myopic patient who had been implanted with angle-supported phakic intraocular lenses (pIOL) in 1990 and who subsequently and gradually developed complications in both eyes including endothelial cell loss, chronic glaucoma, cataract, pupil ovalization and severe iris atrophy. The patient was impaired by photophobia, glare, halo, loss in visual acuity and concerned about the cosmetically deforming aspect of her eyes. Cataract surgery was performed after explantation of the pIOL followed by combined implantation of a standard IOL in the capsular bag and a Dr. Schmidt artificial iris in the sulcus. There were no intraoperative and postoperative complications except slight bilateral corneal oedema which resolved completely within 1 month after surgery. Uncorrected and corrected visual acuity improved progressively to reach 0.3 and 0.6 at the last follow-up visit (±1 year), respectively. The patient was very satisfied with the functional and aesthetical outcomes.