Phacoemulsification for Anisometropia Associated with Presenile Cataracts in Patients with High Myopia

Abstract

The conventional treatment for anisometropia brought on by asymmetric cataracts in presenile patients with high myopia is still controversial. In this report, we evaluate treatment results by chart review. We reviewed the records of four patients under the age of 55 with high myopia and anisometropia associated with asymmetric lens opacity between fellow eyes. A four-step procedure was followed to confirm anisometropia induced by different degrees of lens opacity between the eyes. The eye with poorer best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in each patient underwent phacoemulsification with implantation of an intraocular lens. Different methods were used for vision correction in the fellow eyes, depending on the patient's lifestyle. All eyes that underwent cataract surgery achieved a BCVA of at least 6/6. Contact lenses were fitted in the fellow eyes of two patients and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) was performed in the other two patients. Except for one of the eyes that underwent LASIK, each of the fellow eyes had satisfactory vision after correction. Improved postoperative visual acuity was obtained in myopic eyes with presenile cataracts. LASIK may not be suitable for correcting refractive errors in fellow high myopic eyes in the early stages of cataracts.