POSTERIOR CAPSULE TEARS DURING EXTRACAPSULAR CATARACT-SURGERY IN INDIA

We determined the incidence in a developing nation of posterior capsul e rupture during planned extracapsular cataract surgery and insertion of a posterior chamber intraocular lens. The results, in part, determi ne whether this complication limits the widespread utility of this pro cedure in developing nations. We retrospectively reviewed charts of al l patients undergoing planned extracapsular cataract surgery during a 6-month period; all patients received surgery as inpatients at the Ara vind Eye Hospital, Madurai, India, and all were southern Indians. We t ried to exclude most patients with prior ocular diseases associated wi th loss of zonular or posterior capsule integrity. One eye of all elig ible patients was included. Extracapsular cataract surgery was perform ed using manual irrigation and aspiration with the insertion of a post erior chamber intraocular lens. In this study, we evaluated the abilit y to maintain an intact posterior capsule with the insertion of a post erior chamber intraocular lens during surgery. Of 898 eyes operated on , 15 (1.7%) developed rents in the posterior capsule, and seven of the se had vitreous in the anterior chamber. Nine of the 15 rents were in eyes with either traumatic or hypermature lenses. We conclude that eve n in a developing nation where many cataracts are mature, hypermature, or traumatic, extracapsular cataract surgery with the insertion of a posterior chamber intraocular lens is technically feasible if surgeons are skilled and experienced.