title: Posterior capsule rupture and vitreous loss during phacoemulsification with or without the use of an anterior chamber maintainer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the incidence of posterior capsule rupture and vitreous loss during phacoemulsification with and without the use of an anterior chamber maintainer (ACM) SETTING: Aristotle University Eye Clinic, Thessaloniki, Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  The surgical records of patients who had phacoemulsification by experienced surgeons over a 2-year period were reviewed. The cases were divided into 2 groups: surgery performed without the use of an ACM (no-ACM group) and surgery performed with the use of an ACM (ACM group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The no-ACM group comprised 231 cases and the ACM group, 312 cases. Posterior capsule rupture occurred in 19 cases (8.22%) and 22 cases (7.05%), respectively. Of the patients with posterior capsule rupture, 6 (31.57%) in the no-ACM group and 16 (72.72%) in the ACM group had vitreous loss and required an anterior vitrectomy; the difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant (P =.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of an ACM in phacoemulsification provided a consistently deep anterior chamber and approximately the same rate of complications as with a standard technique in the hands of experienced surgeons. However, when posterior capsule rupture occurred, the incidence of vitreous loss was significantly higher in eyes with an ACM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece. sofia_androudi@hms.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Androudi
authors.forename: Periklis D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Brazitikos
authors.forename: Nick T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dereklis
authors.forename: Lake
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Symeon
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stangos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000293:injuries*; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012421:Rupture; D014821:Vitrectomy; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local