Outcome of Single-piece Intraocular Lens Sulcus Implantation following Posterior Capsular Rupture during Phacoemulsification

PURPOSE: To assess the safety and outcome of single-piece posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC-IOL) implantation in the ciliary sulcus following posterior capsular rupture during cataract surgery. METHODS: Patients with posterior capsular rupture during cataract surgery with a single-piece acrylic IOL implanted into the ciliary sulcus were studied. Complete ocular examinations were performed after 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Twenty-four eyes were included. Mean follow-up duration was 8.33 ± 2.33 months. There was no significant difference between preoperative and postoperative keratometric cylinder or intraocular pressure. Visual acuity of 87.50% of patients was ≥20/40 after surgery. Complications included foveopathy (10 eyes), iris transillumination defect (4 eyes), iris chafing (2 eyes), pigmented keratic precipitate (KP) (4 eyes), clinical IOL tilt (6 eyes), endothelial pigment dusting (14 eyes), IOL pigment dusting (17 eyes), iris bowing (6 eyes), IOL decentration (4 eyes), and IOL tilt detected with ultrasonography biomicroscopy (UBM) (4 eyes). IOL pigment dusting was significantly higher in eyes with short axial lengths, high IOL power, small sulcus-to-sulcus (STS) diameter, large STS IOL diameter mismatch, and small anterior chamber depth and angle. Significant relationships were observed between pigmented KP with small STS diameter and large STS IOL diameter mismatch, UBM and clinical IOL tilt with large anterior chamber depth and between iris transillumination defect and STS IOL diameter mismatch. CONCLUSION: This implantation is associated with higher incidence of complications. Single-piece acrylic IOLs are not designed for sulcus implantation. However, they may be used in eyes with longer axial length if the 3-piece IOL is not available.