title: What to do with limited view: the intumescent cataract.
abstract: In 1991, 2,967 consecutive cataract cases were analyzed in a prospective, observational study for the incidence of intumescent cataract. Thirty four (1.15%) of the cases were mature intumescent lenses. A deliberately small continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) enlarged secondarily by the two-stage continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (2-CCC) technique was the anterior capsulotomy approach of choice. Depending on the liquidity of the lens material, liquid cortex was aspirated using a 26- or 30-gauge needle before capsulorhexis or through a small CCC. Because of loss of CCC control, a can-opener capsulotomy was used in three of the 34 cases before being converted by the 2-CCC technique. The rigid nucleus was usually extracted using the down-slope nucleofractis phacoemulsification technique. Four (11.7%) of the 34 intumescent cases had anterior capsule tears during capsulotomy. Successful in-the-bag lens implantation was achieved in all cases. We describe a technique of CCC, 2-CCC, and down-slope sculpting nucleofractis phacoemulsification to manage intumescent cataracts.
authors.affiliation: Gimbel Eye Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: H V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Gimbel
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Willerscheidt
mesh_terms: D002386:Cataract / Q000473:pathology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D015994:Incidence; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies