Pseudoexfoliation syndrome and cataract surgery. Avoidance and treatment of complications

Eyes with pseudoexfoliation syndrome often exhibit insufficient mydriasis, zonular weakness and pronounced fibrotic capsular shrinkage. This may make cataract surgery as such difficult but also leads to postoperative complications, such as rhexis ovalization or phimosis (capsule contraction syndrome) or progressive zonular weakening with final spontaneous dislocation of the capsule-implant complex (CIC). To avoid or correct for this special techniques and implants may be used: as prophylaxis, intracameral adrenalin and retroiridal capsulorhexis, iris retractors or dilators, various models of capsular tension and bending rings, bimanual capsule ring implantation, capsular bag stabilization with iris retractors or segments and secondary capsulorhexis may be used. Rhexis phimosis may be excised by a special diathermic probe, a subluxated CIC may be sutured to the sclera either in toto or the lens only after removal from the capsule bag, the latter also to the posterior iris surface. When luxated into the vitreous cavity, the CIC may be lifted to the iris plane and refixed as described or exchanged for a new lens sutured into the sulcus or an angle or iris-supported anterior chamber lens.