Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treatment and outcomes for cats with lens luxation in 136 eyes
By Aronson, Riley J et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2026·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: EXPRESS: Treatment rationales and outcomes for cats with lens luxation: 136 eyes (2007-2023).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 115 cats with lens luxation (a condition where the lens of the eye is displaced) were treated using different methods, including surgery and medication. Many of the cats were not able to see when they were first examined. The most successful treatment was intracapsular lens extraction (ICLE), which helped 92% of the eyes regain vision and maintain normal eye pressure. In contrast, the other method, transcorneal lens reduction (TCLR), did not work for any of the cats. Overall, while some cats did well with medical management, surgery was the best option for restoring vision.
People also search for: cat lens luxation treatment · cat eye surgery outcomes · why is my cat's eye cloudy
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate outcomes in cats with lens luxation treated with intracapsular lens extraction (ICLE), medical management, or transcorneal lens reduction (TCLR), and to investigate reasoning behind treatment recommendations. METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to identify cats with lens luxation. Data collected included signalment, examination findings, treatment decision and rationale for treatment, and outcome. RESULTS: Records were reviewed for 136 eyes from 115 cats. Male cats (77%) were overrepresented. 83/136 (61%) of eyes were nonvisual on presentation. Medical management was initially elected for 79/136 (58%) of eyes, enucleation for 32/136 (24%), ICLE for 12/136 (9%), and TCLR for 7/136 (5%), while no treatment was elected for 3/136 eyes (2%), 2 cats were euthanized (2/136 eyes, 1%), and one eye underwent diode laser cyst ablation. TCLR was not successful in any eyes. Of eyes with followup, 12/13 (92%) eyes that underwent ICLE as primary or secondary management were visual and normotensive (IOP <25 mmHg), while 19/50 (38%) medically managed eyes were visual and normotensive. However, 33/50 (66%) of medically managed eyes were normotensive at last recheck and 17/23 (74%) of medically managed eyes that were visual on presentation remained visual at last recheck. Treatment rationale was noted for 91 eyes. Factors cited included visual status (40%), perceived comfort (36%), age or medical history (29%), financial limitations (12%), inability to medicate (10%), other ocular examination findings (9%), and potential risk of feline post-traumatic ocular sarcoma following ICLE (7%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: TCLR does not appear to be a viable treatment modality in cats. Medical management of lens luxation may produce acceptable results for IOP control and retention of vision when ICLE is not possible. Providing cat owners with accurate information about outcomes and financial implications of treatment options for lens luxation is critical.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41981767/