Preliminary outcomes of cataract surgery with iStent inject® W

This study was performed to investigate the preliminary outcomes and complications of patients with glaucoma who underwent cataract surgery with iStent inject® W implantation. The study involved 32 eyes of 27 patients (mean age, 69.2 ± 10.0 years) who underwent cataract surgery with an iStent inject® W from November 2020 to June 2021 at Kyorin University Hospital and were followed up for at least 3 months. Intraocular pressure (IOP), mean number of medications, and postoperative complications were retrospectively reviewed from the medical records. The mean number of medications was represented by a score of 1 point for a single eye drop for glaucoma and 2 points for a combination drug. Thirty-one eyes had primary open-angle glaucoma and one had exfoliation glaucoma. The preoperative and 1-month postoperative IOP was 17.1 ± 3.0 and 16.4 ± 2.6 mmHg, respectively, with no significant difference (p = 0.6183). Three months postoperatively, however, the IOP significantly decreased to 14.7 ± 2.4 mmHg (p = 0.0020). The mean number of medications preoperatively and 1 and 3 months postoperatively was 3.4 ± 1.1, 1.8 ± 1.0, and 2.1 ± 1.2, respectively, showing a significant decrease after 1 and 3 months (p < 0.0001 for both). Postoperative complications included stent occlusion by the iris in two eyes, anterior chamber hemorrhage in one eye, and temporary IOP elevation in two eyes. Temporary IOP elevation and anterior chamber hemorrhage resolved within approximately one week of postoperative follow-up. Cataract surgery with the iStent inject® W showed no serious intraoperative or postoperative complications. It is useful for lowering the IOP and reducing the number of medications in patients with glaucoma.