To compare the incidence of complications and the outcome of phacoemulsification surgery in patients with and without previous vitrectomy.

We retrospectively investigated 60 patients in a study group that received phacoemulsification with posterior chamber IOL implantation (PC-IOL) in the vitrectomized eye and 60 patients in a control group that received only phacoemulsification with PC-IOL implantation from January 2003 to December 2007. The interval from PPV to cataract extraction, sex, age, type of cataract, intraoperative and postoperative complications, pre- and postoperative refraction were reviewed.

The most common indication of pars plana vitrectomy was diabetic retinopathy. Nucleosclerosis was the most common type of cataract. The most common intraoperative complication was posterior capsular rupture, but there was no statistical significance when compared with the control group ( p =0.116). In addition, the most common postoperative complication was posterior capsular opacity. After phacoemulsification, the rate at which a BCVA of 0.5 or better was obtained was lower in the study group than the control group. The spread between actual and expected refraction showed no statistically significant difference when compared with the control group ( p =0.309).

Experienced surgeons can safely perform phacoemulsification and PC-IOL implantation in previously vitrectomized eyes. However, the outcome of visual acuity is limited by vitreoretinal pathology that requires vitrectomy.