Effect of Anterior Chamber Air Injection on Intraocular Lens Stability after Phacovitrectomy with Gas/Air Tamponade

Purpose: Anterior chamber air injection (ACAI) is a surgical technique used to decrease the occurrence of postoperative intraocular lens (IOL) haptic dislocation following phacovitrectomy with gas/air tamponade. The impact of this technique on IOL stability remains uncertain, prompting the design of this study to investigate further. Methods: This study included 51 eyes of 51 patients who underwent phacovitrectomy with gas/air tamponade. The patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (ACAI group, 26 eyes) and Group 2 (non-ACAI group, 25 eyes). IOL position (IOLP) is used to determine the IOL axial movement. The study analyzed changes in lens/IOL decentration, tilt, and aqueous depth (AQD) using repeated measures analysis of variance. The linear regression model was employed to investigate the factors influencing the IOL stability. Results: There was no significant difference in IOL decentration, tilt, mean prediction error, and mean absolute error between the two groups. ACAI not only caused the IOLP to move axially forward but also the AQD to take longer to stabilize. Preoperative lens tilt is a significant factor influencing postoperative IOL tilt. Additionally, sex, ACAI, and aqueous width are identified as factors that affect IOLP. Conclusion: ACAI is a factor that can affect IOL instability, and the surgeon needs to consider the necessity of ACAI when performing phacovitrectomy with gas/air tamponade.