title: Comparison of 2 techniques for managing posterior polar cataracts: Traditional phacoemulsification versus femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery.
abstract: We report 2 patients with bilateral, visually significant posterior polar cataracts who had traditional phacoemulsification in 1 eye and femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery in the fellow eye. In both cases, the eye that had femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery developed a posterior capsule rupture during lens removal; in 1 eye, there were also retained nuclear fragments. Although visual outcome was excellent in both eyes of both patients, it appears that traditional phacoemulsification with extensive hydrodelineation is the preferable treatment method for posterior polar cataracts.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Neither author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
authors.affiliation: From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of Plantation, Plantation, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Alder
authors.affiliation: From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of Plantation, Plantation, Florida, USA. Electronic address: kdonaldson@med.miami.edu.
authors.forename: Kendall E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Donaldson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology