LAUSR

PURPOSE To compare the clinical characteristics of eyes affected by late postoperative capsular block syndrome (CBS) after routine phacoemulsification or phacovitrectomy, and to demonstrate the outcomes of Nd:YAG capsulotomy and posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorrhexis (PCCC) in the treatment of CBS. DESIGN Retrospective interventional case series. METHODS Twenty-eight patients with late postoperative CBS, comprising 13 eyes after phacoemulsification (Group A) and 15 eyes after phacovitrectomy (Group B), were analyzed. Seventeen patients with minimal (degree I), mild (II), and moderate (III) posterior capsular opacification (PCO) underwent Nd:YAG capsulotomy (Group A, 10 eyes and Group B, seven eyes), while 11 patients with severe (degree IV) PCO underwent PCCC (Group A, three eyes and Group B, eight eyes). RESULTS A statistically significant post-operative improvement in best-corrected visual acuity (Group A, P = 0.0002 and Group B, P = 0.0070), and a significant post-operative decrease in aqueous flare value (Group A, P = 0.0077 and Group B, P = 0.0127) were observed. No significant differences were observed in intraocular pressure, aqueous depth, and diopters (P > 0.05). No surgical complications were experienced by either group. CONCLUSIONS Late postoperative CBS had similar characteristics whether it developed after phacoemulsification or phacovitrectomy. Nd:YAG capsulotomy and the PCCC technique are efficient approaches to mild and moderate PCO and severe PCO with CBS, respectively. PCCC may be a viable alternative for treating dense PCO with CBS in pseudophakic eyes.