Risk factors for posterior capsule opacification
- Correspondence to: Stephen D McLeod MD, University of California San Francisco, Department of Ophthalmology, and the Francis I Proctor Foundation, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; mcleodsvision.ucsf.edu
Resolving nebulous data
Improvements in techniques, instrumentation, and intraocular lens design appear to have been associated with declining rates of posterior capsule opacification following cataract surgery.1 While morbidity associated with posterior capsule opacification and its treatment, Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy, is limited, progressive opacification affects quality of vision and visual function, while capsulotomy requires additional patient visits, consumes additional surgical resources, and introduces the potential risks of cystoid macular oedema and retinal detachment. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms of posterior capsule opacification and its retardation would have obvious immediate benefits. Moreover, control of capsular optical and biomechanical characteristics following cataract extraction is essential if dynamic accommodative intraocular lenses, which change in optical conjugation power in response to ciliary body motion translated via the zonules and capsular bag, are to provide consistent and sustained performance.
In addition to providing further evidence suggesting an increased risk for posterior capsule opacity associated with specific features of intraocular lens design independent of material, the study presented by Mian and co-authors in this issue of the BJO (p 1453) supports the observation that we as yet do not have a complete understanding of all of the features that govern the behaviour of the capsular bag following cataract …
