POSTERIOR CAPSULE TEAR IN PHACOEMULSIFICATION OF POSTERIOR POLAR CATARACTS AND UNCOMPLICATED CATARACTS

Posterior Capsule Tear

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study was to document the difference in the incidence of posterior capsule tear in phacosurgery of the posterior polar cataract and uncomplicated cataract and to report the visual outcomes of these cases.
Design: A quasi-experimental study.Place and Duration of Study: CMH Rawalpindi, from Mar 2004 to Mar 2007.
Patients and Methods: The medical records of all patients who had Phacoemulsification surgery during the study period were retrospectively analyzed. Only patients with posterior polar cataracts and uncomplicated cataracts were included. The data of eyes, which developed posterior capsule tear, were further analyzed. Hydrodissection was not done in the eyes with posterior polar cataracts instead gentle hydrodileneation and viscodissection was done. The incidence of posterior capsule tear and the visual outcome were recorded in the two groups.
Results: Out of the 2110 eyes of 1750 patients included in the study, 1735 patients (99.16%) had uncomplicated cataracts (2089 eyes/ 99.001%) and 15 patients (0.86%) posterior polar cataract (21 eyes/ 0.99%). Posterior capsule rupture occurred in 33 eyes (1.56%) of all study patients. It was significantly high in patients with posterior polar cataract 7 cases (PP group) out of 21 eyes (33.33%) than in eyes with uncomplicated cataract 26 (UC group) out of 2089 eyes (1.24%) (P value <0.001). The corrected visual acuity significantly improved inpatients of both groups; 6/12 or better in 21 eyes (80.76%) of 26 eyes in UC group and 5 eyes (71.4%) of 7 eyes in PP group postoperatively.
Conclusion: Posterior capsule rupture occurred more frequently in posterior polar cataract than uncomplicated cataract. If managed by experienced surgeon, the visual outcome is good in both the groups.