Cataract Surgery

Cataract Surgery Complications

Intraoperative Complications (main campus) (N = 5641)

2022

Total number of surgeries include those performed at main campus only.

Intraoperative complications during cataract surgery were uncommon, occurring in only 1.24% of 5641 patients operated on during 2022. The most common complication was posterior capsule rupture, reported in 0.41% of patients, most of whom ended up with excellent vision, followed by zonular dialysis (0.37%), iris trauma (0.16%), retained lens fragments (0.11%), anterior capsule tear (0.09%), hyphema (0.05%) and other (0.05%). The other category included one case each of acqueous misdirection, unstable secondary IOL, and small pupil IOL. Most patients (98.76%) had no complications.

Postoperative Complications (main campus & regions) (N = 13,018)

2022

IOL = intraocular lens

Total number of surgeries include those performed at main campus, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital, and Lorain Ambulatory Surgery Center.

Postoperative complications were also rare, occurring in 0.34% of 13,018 patients who required a return to the operating room within 30 days of surgery. The complications included retained lens fragments (0.14%), dislocated IOL (0.07%), exchange IOL (0.04%), wound leak (0.02%), rotation of toric lens (0.02%), retinal detachment (0.02%) and other (0.03%). The other category included one case each of hyphema, vitreous strand, dislocated implant, and iris trauma. Most patients (99.58%) had no complications. There was one culture-positive case of postoperative endophthalmitis after cataract surgery in 2022.