Surgical and visual outcomes for posterior polar cataract.

AIMS: The aims of this study were to report the surgical and visual outcomes of posterior polar cataract and to assess the risk factors for posterior capsule rupture.

METHOD: Medical records of 81 eyes of 59 patients were reviewed. The surgical procedure used, intraoperative complications and postoperative visual outcome were recorded.

RESULTS: Of the 81 eyes, 61 eyes (75%) underwent phacoemulsification. Seventeen eyes had extra-capsular cataract extraction, and manual small incision cataract surgery was performed on three eyes. Posterior capsule rupture occurred in 25 (31%) eyes: it was more common in young patients (<40 years) and in the extra-capsular cataract extraction group. Two eyes had nucleus drop during phacoemulsification. The postoperative visual acuity was >or=20/30 in 76 eyes.

CONCLUSION: Posterior capsule rupture occurred more frequently in extra-capsular cataract extraction compared with phacoemulsification and in patients below 40 years of age. Phacoemulsification, done carefully, leads to good visual outcome.