Corneal burn: a rare complication of radiofrequency diathermy capsulotomy.
We present 2 patients with accidental corneal burns inflicted during clear cornea cataract surgery using radiofrequency diathermy for anterior capsulotomy. During the capsulotomy procedure, the anterior capsule was not opened and only a small air bubble appeared when the energy was turned on. Meanwhile the area of the corneal tunnel that contacted the shoulder of the diathermy tip became opaque and shrank with a small defect in the anterior corneal lip. Postoperatively, focal corneal shrinkage with iris incarceration into the defect of the corneal tunnel and resultant peaking pupil were noted in the 2 patients. The corneal burns resulted in temporary irregular astigmatism with mild visual acuity impairment. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a corneal burn as a complication of radiofrequency diathermy for anterior capsulotomy in clear cornea cataract surgery.
D000368:Aged; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000209:etiology; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D003972:Diathermy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D014792:Visual Acuity