title: Implantation of foldable intraocular lenses in the presence of anterior capsular tears.
abstract: A consecutive series of patients who had undergone small-incision phacoemulsification cataract surgery with foldable lens implantation were reviewed. Seven patients had sustained anterior capsular tears during surgery. In all cases a three-piece foldable intraocular lens (IOL) was successfully inserted by careful positioning of the haptics. In all 6 patients available for long-term assessment the IOL remained stable and well centred, the tears having been sealed by fibrous tissue. We show that, if logical measures are taken to limit tear extension, the lack of an intact capsulorhexis need not result in conversion to extracapsular cataract extraction.
mesh_terms: D001251:Astigmatism / Q000209:etiology; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000293:injuries*; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity