PREVENTIVE ASPECTS OF MANAGING PSEUDOEXFOLIATIVE GLAUCOMA IN PATIENTS WITH PSEUDOEXFOLIATION SYNDROME IN UKRAINE

To assess relationship changes between morphometric parameters of the anterior segment of the eye and the degree of intraocular pressure reduction in Ukrainian patients with PEX after performing the ultrasonic phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation.

Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) is a common pathology that creates an unfavorable background for the development of various eye diseases and is one of the most typical complications of age-related cataracts. Among patients with PEX, glaucoma occurs approximately six times more frequently than in the general population.

The study involved 488 patients (625 eyes) aged 49 to 79 years with age-related cataracts combined with PEX. Data from a control group were used for comparison, consisting of 122 patients (188 eyes) without signs of PEX. All patients underwent ultrasonic phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation. Intraocular pressure levels were measured using Goldman applanation tonometry before the surgery, one week, one month, and three months after the operation.

During the study, morphometric parameters of the anterior segment of the eye in patients with PEX were evaluated, revealing a 9% reduction in anterior chamber depth and a 28% increase in anterior-posterior lens size compared to patients without signs of PEX. The parameters of intraocular pressure were also determined in patients without PES (first group) and with PEX (second group) before and after ultrasoznic phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation. In patients of the first group, a gradual decrease in IOP (by 1.4 mmHg) was observed over 3 months after the surgery. In the second group of patients, there was a slight increase in IOP during the first week after the surgery, followed by a significant decrease (by 3 mmHg) over the following 3 months.

Cataract surgery such as ultrasonic phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome can be an alternative method for preventing the development of pseudoexfoliative glaucoma by significantly reducing and stabilizing intraocular pressure in the long-term postoperative period.