title: Secondary closure of posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the hypothesis that removing the center of the posterior capsule would prevent posterior capsular opacification (PCO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Antwerp, Belgium.
  
  
  METHODS
  A posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) was done before intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in eyes at risk for PCO (uveitic, young adult), retinal detachment after neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy (highly myopic) or for cystoid macular edema (uveitic, diabetic) and in eyes in which the posterior capsule was opaque intraoperatively. The 51 eyes of 40 patients had a follow-up ranging from 6 months to 2 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four eyes (8%) developed partial closure of the posterior CCC without vision impairment; 6 eyes (12%) had total closure, of which 2 (4%) had a loss of two or more Snellen lines necessitating an Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young adult eyes and eyes with underlying diabetic retinopathy or uveitis are at risk for total closure of the posterior CCC. Only young adult eyes required Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy after the posterior CCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tassignon
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Groot
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Smets
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tawab
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vervecken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000601:surgery*; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D012826:Silicone Elastomers