eMedicine Specialties > Ophthalmology > Intraocular Pressure

Glaucoma, Phacolytic: Follow-up

Author: Kayoung Yi, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Hallym University, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Korea
Coauthor(s): Teresa C Chen, MD, FACS, Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Director of Clinical Affairs, Glaucoma Service, Consulting Staff, Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Mar 12, 2009

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

  • Inpatient care is not usually necessary for phacolytic glaucoma unless the patient is briefly hospitalized following emergency cataract extraction.

Further Outpatient Care

  • In most cases, IOP begins to rapidly normalize following cataract extraction, allowing discontinuation of ocular medications. A minority of patients will have persistent elevation of IOP requiring long-term medical therapy or filtering surgery to control the glaucoma.

Deterrence/Prevention

  • Removal of mature or hypermature cataracts

Complications

  • Loss of vision from uncontrolled glaucoma and/or persistent corneal edema
  • Surgical complications, including suprachoroidal hemorrhage, capsular rupture with loss of lens material into the posterior segment, corneal injury, and vitreous prolapse

Prognosis

  • Prognosis is excellent, with most patients experiencing marked improvement in vision following cataract extraction; however, delayed treatment may cause a poor outcome.
  • Patients with phacolytic glaucoma (PG) may have a worse prognosis than patients with phacomorphic glaucoma.

Patient Education

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • With a mature or hypermature cataract, the eye care specialist should emphasize the importance of cataract extraction prior to the development of glaucoma.
 


More on Glaucoma, Phacolytic

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Treatment & Medication: Glaucoma, Phacolytic
Follow-up: Glaucoma, Phacolytic
Multimedia: Glaucoma, Phacolytic
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

phacolytic glaucoma, PG, lens protein glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma, cataract extraction, lens-induced glaucoma, visual deficit, vision loss, glaucoma treatment, glaucoma symptoms

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Kayoung Yi, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Hallym University, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Korea
Kayoung Yi, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Teresa C Chen, MD, FACS, Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Director of Clinical Affairs, Glaucoma Service, Consulting Staff, Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Teresa C Chen, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Medical Society, and Women in Ophthalmology, Inc
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Richard W Allinson, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Texas A&M University Health Science Center; Senior Staff Ophthalmologist, Scott and White Clinic
Richard W Allinson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Medical Association, and Texas Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Martin B Wax, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School; Vice President, Ophthalmology Research and Development, Head, Ophthalmology Discovery Research, Alcon Labs, Inc
Martin B Wax, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Glaucoma Society, and Society for Neuroscience
Disclosure: Alcon Labs Salary Employment

CME Editor

Lance L Brown, OD, MD, Ophthalmologist, Affiliated With Freeman Hospital and St John's Hospital, Regional Eye Center, Joplin, Missouri
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Hampton Roy Sr, MD, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Hampton Roy Sr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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