title: The impact of capsulorhexis diameter, localization and shape on posterior capsule opacification.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of capsulorhexis diameter, localization and shape on posterior capsule opacification (PCO) development after cataract extraction with phacoemulsification.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed of 297 patients who underwent phacoemulsification and AcrySof SA60AT implantation. In a first group of 97 patients, 53 received small capsulorhexis (3.9 to 4.9 mm in diameter) and 44 patients received large capsulorhexis (5.0 to 5.9 mm in diameter). Another group of 99 patients was split into subgroups--66 patients whose capsulorhexis were centrally located and 33 patients whose capsulorhexis were paracentral. A third group of 101 patients was split into subgroups--a subgroup of 59 patients were classified as having a regularly rimmed capsulorhexis and a subgroup of 42 patients as having an irregularly rimmed capsulorhexis. At 6 months follow-up, PCO was classified as none, mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the number of quadrants involved.
  
  
  RESULTS
  86.79% of the patients with a small capsulorhexis had no or mild PCO (p<0.001), whereas, 68.18% of the patients with a large capsulorhexis experienced moderate or severe PCO; 89.4% of the patients with a central capsulorhexis had no or mild PCO (p<0.001), whereas, 75.75% of the patients with a paracentral capsulorhexis had moderate or severe PCO; 86.44% of the patients with a regularly rimmed anterior capsulorhexis had no or mild PCO (p<0.001); and 69.04% of the patients with an irregular capsulorhexis rim had moderate or severe PCO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A small capsulorhexis diameter, its central localization and regular shape result in less PCO following phacoemulsification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, 2nd Medical Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Langwińska-Wośko
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Broniek-Kowalik
authors.forename: Kamil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szulborski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D058442:Capsule Opacification / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D019923:Capsulorhexis / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000379:methods*; D011044:Poland; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014792:Visual Acuity