Visual outcomes and risk factors of uveitis cataract eyes after phacoemulsification and manual small-incision cataract surgery.

PURPOSE:To examine the visual outcomes and risk factors of uveitis cataract eyes after phacoemulsification and manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS). SETTING:Tertiary-care eye hospital in southern India. DESIGN:Retrospective interventional case series. METHODS:Of the uveitis eyes operated for cataract surgery between 2017 and 2020, eyes with a minimum of 6 months postoperative follow-up were included. Eyes with ocular trauma, lens subluxation, lens-induced uveitis, or retinal detachment-induced uveitis were excluded. Demography, visual acuity, intraoperative and postoperative records, and surgical outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS:191 eyes of 191 patients with a mean age of 51.7 ± 14.4 years were included. Phacoemulsification was performed in 134 eyes, and 57 eyes underwent MSICS. Synechiolysis and pupil-expanding maneuvers were required in 74 eyes (38.7%). No differences were noted in the rates of complications between phacoemulsification and MSICS eyes, except at 1 year, where higher rates of posterior capsular opacification and vitritis were noted in MSICS eyes ( P = .018). The visual outcomes of eyes that underwent MSICS and phacoemulsification were comparable ( P = .463). In 12 eyes (13.5%), improvement in vision was not significant. CONCLUSIONS:This study shows phacoemulsification may be a preferred technique in uveitis cataracts, given the lesser incidence of postoperative complications. Patients should be counseled for realistic expectations.