The role of the vitreous body in effective IOL positioning.

PURPOSE: To compare the effective lens position (ELP) after phaco surgery alone and after combined phacovitrectomy surgery.

METHODS: Twenty patients who were scheduled for elective surgery in both eyes were included. In one eye, phacovitrectomy surgery was performed (without any tamponade), and in the fellow eye, only phaco surgery was performed using the same IOL type. Pre- and postoperative biometric measurements were performed using laser interference biometry. The postoperative anterior chamber depth (ACD) was measured to determine the ELP. The primary outcome measure was the difference in the postoperative ACD between both eyes.

RESULTS: The postoperative ACD following phacovitrectomy showed a statistically significant increase compared with that following phaco surgery alone, indicating a more posterior position of the IOL.

CONCLUSIONS: An adjusted ELP parameter to optimize IOL calculation may be useful in eyes undergoing combined phacovitrectomy sugergy.