Comparison of scleral fixation of intraocular lens: sutureless intrascleral fixation versus conventional sutured scleral fixation.

PURPOSE To compare the clinical outcomes of sutured scleral and sutureless intrascleral fixations of the intraocular lens (IOL). METHODS Medical records of patients who underwent sutureless intrascleral fixation (sutureless group) and the conventional sutured scleral fixation (sutured group) were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics and the clinical outcomes of the two techniques were compared before and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS Seventy patients were followed up for 6 months after the surgery: 25 patients in the sutureless group (25 eyes) and 45 in the sutured group (45 eyes). Surgery time was shorter in the sutureless group than in the sutured group (73.00 ± 15.68 vs. 107.39 ± 25.30 min, p<0.001). Visual acuity (VA) gradually improved throughout the postoperative period in both groups, and a faster VA recovery was observed in the sutureless group. The cylindrical error at 6 months after the surgery was significantly lower in the sutureless group than in the sutured group (-1.33 ± 0.55 vs. -2.29 ± 1.19 diopter, p<0.001). CONCLUSION Sutureless intrascleral fixation is an effective and reliable surgical technique that provides more favorable visual and refractive outcomes than the conventional sutured scleral fixation method.