A pilot study of lens extraction in the management of acute primary angle-closure glaucoma

OBJECTIVE: To describe a pilot study of lens extraction in the management of acute primary angle,closure glaucoma (APACG) in Chinese patients. DESIGN: Interventional case series. METHODS: A prospective case series of patients presented with APACG at a tertiary eye hospital in Xiamen, China. All the patients had intensive medical treatment followed by immediate phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation under topical anesthesia. RESULTS: There were 18 patients who were seen with APACG who had phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation under topical an, esthesia. There was a 9.0-mm Hg drop in mean preoperative and first day postoperative intraocular pressure (22.8 vs 13.8 mm Hg, P =.012) and a 10.2-mmHg drop in mean preoperative and seventh,day postoperative intraocular pressure (22.8 vs 13.2 mm Hg, P =.002). CONCLUSION: This pilot study indicates that phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation may be useful in the treatment of primary acute angle-closure glaucoma in Chinese patients. Further study with longer follow,up is needed. (C) 2003 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.