Patients who have undergone prior intravitreal therapy (pIVT) have an increased risk of intraoperative complication (IC) during cataract surgery, according to a large Swedish study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Dr Poya Hård af Segerstad, Skåne University Hospital, developed an IC risk model for cataract surgery using the Swedish National Cataract Register records of over 900,000 eyes, cross-referenced with the Swedish Macula Register to ascertain previous intravitreal therapy. Dr Hård found other variables significantly associated with IC risk included best corrected visual acuity ≥1.0 LogMAR, diabetic retinopathy, pseudoexfoliation, age ≥90 years, male sex, glaucoma, surgeon’s experience <600 surgeries, use of rhexis hooks, blue staining and mechanical pupil dilation.