Purpose: Massive suprachoroidal hemorrhage is a well-known, possibly serious complication of many surgical procedures, including cataract extraction, glaucoma-filtering procedures, penetrating keratoplasty, retinal detachment surgery and pars plana vitrectomy. The aim of our study is evaluation of the incidence of massive suprachoroidal hemorrhage among patients operated in Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Academy in Białystok from 1990 to 2000.
Material and methods: From 1990 to 2000, 6225 intraocular operations, including 5541 cataract extractions, 195 glaucoma-filtering surgeries, 438 retinal detachment surgeries and 51 multiprocedure surgeries were performed. The criteria for diagnosis were the intraoperative signs of suprachoroidal hemorrhage (shallowing of the anterior chamber, increasing of the intraocular pressure, iris prolapse, expulsion of the lens and vitreous, retinal and choroidal elevation and loss of the red reflex) and postoperative ultrasonic examination.
Results: 18 eyes were identified with massive suprachoroidal hemorrhage, including 16 eyes during cataract extraction and 2 eyes during filtering procedures. The incidence of suprachoroidal hemorrhage for all intraoperative surgeries was 0.29%. It occurred in 0.28% of cataract surgeries and 1.02% of glaucoma filtering procedures. There were no incidence of suprachoroidal hemorrhage during retinal detachment surgeries.
Conclusion: A massive suprachoroidal hemorrhage is a relatively rare complication of intraocular operations. Most frequently it is associated with glaucoma filtering surgery.