Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery in management of posterior capsule tear following blunt trauma: Case report and review of literature

PURPOSE: To describe the diagnosis and management of a patient with rupture of the posterior capsule (PC) following blunt trauma to the left eye. OBSERVATION: 68 year-old man presented with complaints of left eye pain, blurry vision and photophobia after getting hit in the left eye with a baseball. He was found to have a posterior capsule rupture, as well as mydriasis and zonular dialysis without formation of intumescent traumatic cataract. Femtosecond laser associated cataract surgery (FLACS) was performed to facilitate creation of an anterior capsulotomy and segmentation of the nucleus without additional strain on the posterior capsule, facilitating placement of a capsular tension ring segment and a 3-piece IOL in the sulcus. At three-month post-operative visit, his BCVA was 20/30 in the left eye with a well-centered IOL. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: Isolated PC tear following high-speed blunt trauma is relatively rare and prior reports have managed these cases using standard phacoemulsification and IOL insertion. Our case highlights the advantages of using FLACS in management of traumatic PC tears and outlines modifications to this technique for such cases.