Endoillumination-assisted cataract surgery in a patient with corneal opacity

We present a technique to better visualize cataracts through corneal opacity. A 70-year-old Japanese woman with retinal detachment, cataract, and corneal opacity in the left eye was treated with phacoemulsification, 3-port vitrectomy, and intraocular lens implantation. To circumvent the difficulty of performing continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) and subsequent cataract surgery through a hazy cornea, we used an endoilluminator as a light source outside the cornea for CCC and inside the anterior chamber for phacoemulsification. As a result, CCC and subsequent cataract surgery were successfully and easily performed despite potentially troublesome corneal opacity. The use of an endoilluminator can be an effective supportive measure for cataract surgery in patients with corneal opacity. (C) 2003 ASCRS and ESCRS.