March 23, 2018
2 min read
Save

Age at time of cataract surgery associated with risk for glaucoma-related adverse events

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com.

Sharon Freedman headshot
Sharon F. Freedman

WASHINGTON — Younger age at time of cataract surgery in children younger than 13 years was associated with greater risk for development of glaucoma-related adverse events, according to a study presented here.

Perspective from Scott E. Olitsky, MD

“The overall rate of a glaucoma-related [adverse event] within 1 year of cataract surgery is about 6%, with age less than 3 months conferring a higher risk after controlling for other factors,” Sharon F. Freedman, MD, told colleagues at the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus meeting.

The purpose of the nonrandomized observational study was to determine the incidence of glaucoma-related adverse events within 18 months after cataract surgery in a large cohort of children aged through 12 years who had undergone lensectomy and to determine risk factors for development of glaucoma-related adverse events in this cohort.

A total of 1,178 eyes were included in the analysis, and 1,084 (92%) of those eyes were examined within 18 months of cataract surgery.

Neither sex nor race was a significant factor in development of glaucoma adverse events. Preoperative IOP, either higher or lower than the median of 14 mm Hg, was not a significant factor and neither was eye size, that is, axial length longer or shorter than the median of 22 mm. Also not significant was the presence of traumatic cataract, unilateral or bilateral cataract, or need for anterior vitrectomy at surgery.

“The data suggest an effect between the presence of an anterior segment abnormality presurgery and glaucoma-related [adverse events] but do not reach the required P < .01 level of significance,” Freedman said. – by Patricia Nale, ELS

Reference:

Freedman SF. Risk of developing glaucoma/glaucoma suspect within 18 months after pediatric cataract surgery. Presented at: American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus meeting; March 18-22, 2018; Washington.

Disclosure: Freedman reports no relevant financial disclosures.