Pars Plana Vitrectomy and Intravitreal Phacoemulsification for Dropped Nuclei

Purpose: to report the outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy (ppv) and intravitreal phacoemulsification in patients with dropped nuclei/nuclear fragments following complicated cataract surgery. methods: in this retrospective case series, charts of patients who had undergone ppv and intravitreal phacoemulsification for removal of dislocated nuclei/lens fragments were reviewed. after standard ppv, a conventional phacoemulsification probe with an amputated sleeve was used for grasping and emulsifying the nucleus/nuclear fragments in mid/anterior vitreous cavity. pre- and postoperative visual acuity, and intra- and postoperative complications were recorded. results: a total of 22 patients with mean age of 71.1±8.2 years were studied. mean interval between complicated cataract surgery and ppv was 26.6±36.5 (range: 0-120) days. patients were followed for a mean of 105.5±57.5 days. preoperatively, best corrected visual acuity was 2.4±0.6 logmar which was improved to 1.4±0.6 logmar at final follow-up (p<0.001). intraoperative complications included iatrogenic peripheral retinal breaks in three eyes. postoperative complications consisted of epiretinal membrane formation in one eye, hypotony in one eye, and medically-controlled glaucoma in 2 eyes. conclusion: in this series, ppv and intravitreal phacoemulsification using a conventional phacoemulsification probe in patients with dropped nuclei/nuclear fragments following complicated cataract surgery resulted in visual improvement without any complications directly attributable to the probe