AIM:To analyze the postoperative refractive error(RE)and its related factors of patients with age-related cataract(ARC)and idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane(IMEM)after phacoemulsification and intraocular lens(IOL)implantation combined with 23G vitrectomy(PPV).

METHODS: From February 2017 to September 2019,25 cases(25 eyes)of arc patients with IMEM who underwent phacoemulsification and IOL implantation combined with vitrectomy were selected as the observation group, and 25 cases(25 eyes)of simple arc patients treated with cataract phacoemulsification and IOL implantation were selected as the control group. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA ), spherical equivalent(SEQ), corneal refractive power(CRP), anterior chamber depth(ACD), axial length(AL)and macular central foveal thickness(CFT)of the two groups before and after the operation were compared.

RESULTS:At 3mo after operation, BCVA(0.284±0.177, 0.016±0.085)in observation group and control group were significantly improved compared with those before operation(0.572±0.199, 0.568±0.191), ACD was significantly increased(all P<0.001), but CRP and AL had no significant changes in both groups(P>0.05), and there was no difference in ACD, CRP and AL between the two groups(P>0.05). At 3mo after operation, the actual SEQ value in the observation group(-0.426±0.146D)was significantly higher than that before operation(-0.122±0.037D)and that of the control group(-0.127±0.050D)(all P<0.001). The refractive error of the observation group was -0.304±0.142D; the CFT value of the observation group(331.1±67.2μm)was significantly lower than that before operation(444.8±72.1μm), but higher than that of the control group(224.7±16.6μm)The change of CFT in observation group was 113.7±32.2μm. Correlation analysis showed that the refractive error was positively correlated with the change of CFT at 3mo after operation in the observation group(r=0.447, P=0.025).

CONCLUSION: There was a positive correlation between myopic RE and CFT after Phacoemulsification and intraocular lens(IOL)implantation combined with 23G vitrectomy(PPV).