Peripheral iridectomy helps prevent iris-related complications in glued IOL procedure

Glued intrascleral fixation of an IOL is an established procedure for IOL fixation in eyes with a deficient posterior capsule. The additional advantage with a glued IOL is the absence of pseudophakodonesis as detected on a high frame-per-second recording, which automatically translates into better postoperative visual outcomes.The shortcoming of this technique is the absence of specially designed IOLs that can be implanted in eyes with a greater white-to-white diameter. In such a scenario, anterior sclerotomy is often performed, which shifts the plane of the IOL anteriorly, allowing more haptic externalization. During this endeavor, the peripheral iris often gets entrapped into the needle that is employed for sclerotomy, resulting in iridodialysis, hyphema, and occasionally an iris tear or an accidental creation of a sclerotomy channel that is anterior to the iris plane. To avert this complication, peripheral iridectomy is performed in eyes with a greater white-to-white diameter that undergo a glued IOL procedure.