Combined treatment of phacoemulsification and single-port limited pars plana vitrectomy in acute angle-closure glaucoma

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of combined treatment of phacoemulsification (PE) and micro-incisional single-port transconjunctival limited pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG). METHODS: A retrospective study included 26 patients who underwent PE diagnosed with AACG. Among them, 16 patients (16 eyes) underwent PE alone, 10 patients (10 eyes) underwent combined limited vitrectomy and PE. Then we compared intraocular pressure (IOP), anterior chamber angle, anterior chamber depth, central corneal thickness and corneal endothelial cell count before and after surgery, and effective PE time during cataract surgery. RESULTS: Effective PE time was shorter in the combined surgery group than in the single surgery group (P=0.040). There was no statistically significant difference in IOP and best-corrected visual acuity between the two groups postoperatively. At 6mo postoperatively, there was no difference in the anterior chamber angle, anterior chamber depth, and central corneal thickness between two groups, but corneal endothelial cell count was higher in the combined surgery group than in the single surgery group (P=0.046). No complication such as vitreoretinal disease, endophthalmitis, bullous keratopathy was noted. CONCLUSION: Combined micro-incisional single-port transconjunctival limited PPV and PE are more effective and safer than PE alone because of less operation time and fewer complications for management of AACG.