Capsule Rupture with Cataract Surgery

Question: I recently had cataract surgery and experienced a posterior capsular rupture during the procedure. After an initial discussion with my cataract surgeon, whereby he informed me about the rupture, I have subsequently researched what this meant and now have somewhat heightened anxiety (notwithstanding that my surgeon did not seem overly concerned during our discussion). I was ill-prepared to discuss with him at the time, but now have just enough info to be dangerous:-). My question...what are the key questions I should be asking during my next visit with him?

Answer: The complications of Cataract Surgery are generally pretty limited but there are some that can and do occur. A broken or ruptured capsule is one of those complications.

The presence of a break in the capsule can pose anything from no real ramifications to several with some seriousness. First, if the Cataract Surgeon was still able to place the Lens Implant "in the capsular bag" there should be a good result. If not and the surgeon was able to place the Lens Implant in the "sulcus" the result should still be good, with a slightly longer post operative course. If there was any loss of lens material through the rupture, this becomes a little trickier. If the post operative intraocular pressure (IOP) has been easy to control and the cornea is clear without any cloudiness, then this bodes well for a good outcome. If you have not been referred for a Retina consult, this also bodes well for a good outcome. So, generally speaking, if your vision is improving and the surgeon doesn't need to refer for a Retina consultation, then it should all resolve well with perhaps just a longer healing time-maybe a month vs. a week.

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