ESCRS - PO0013 - Late Postoperative Capsular Block Syndrome

Late Postoperative Capsular Block Syndrome

Published 2023 - 41st Congress of the ESCRS

Reference: PO0013 | Type: Case report | DOI: 10.82333/1xg8-fj81

Authors: Elvio Ferreira Jr* 1 , Gustavo Pavão 2 , Jonas Silva Neto 1 , Mario Lima 3

1Clínica Oftalmológica,Complexo Hospitalar Padre Bento de Guarulhos,Guarulhos,Brazil;Disciplina de Oftalmologia,Universidade Santo Amaro,Guarulhos,Brazil, 2Clínica Oftalmológica,Complexo Hospitalar Padre Bento de Guarulhos,Guarulhos,Brazil, 3Clínica Oftalmológica,Complexo Hospitalar Padre Bento de Guarulhos,Guarulhos,Brazil;Disciplina de Oftalmologia,Universidade Santo Amaro,Guarulhos,Brazil;Clínica Oftalmológica,Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP,São Paulo,Brazil

 

To report a case of late postoperative capsular block syndrome 8 years after uneventful phacoemulsification surgery.

 

Clínica Oftalmológica, Complexo Hospitalar Padre Bento de Guarulhos, Guarulhos, SP, Brazil

A 74 year-old woman presented with progressive blurred vision in her right eye for a few months earlier. She had undergone phacoemulsification surgery with the implantation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL) 8 years earlier. On examination, her best corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA) was 20/50, with a +0,75 / -0,50 x170º refraction. Her anterior chamber was quiet, with a well-positioned PC IOL. There were no signs of inflammation. The posterior lens capsule was distended with turbid fluid. Late postoperative capsular block syndrome was diagnosed and a Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy performed, with imediate release of the fluid. One week later, her BCDVA improved to 20/13, with a +1,25 / -0,50 x 180º refraction.

Late postoperative capsular block syndrome is a rare complication presenting years after uneventful cataract surgery, where milky fluid builds up in between the intraocular lens and the posterior capsule. This entrapment of fluid is secondary to a 360° adhesion between the continuous curvilinear anterior capsulorrhexis and the anterior surface of the IOL. These patients may present with a decline in visual acuity or refractive error shift. Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy is a safe procedure that allows for quick release of the trapped fluid and returning the IOL to its previous position, resolving the patient’s myopic shift and visual blurring.