Cataracts induced by neodymium-yttrium-aluminium-garnet laser lysis of vitreous floaters.

Background: Neodymium-yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser vitreolysis has been proposed as a treatment modality for symptomatic vitreous floaters. The purpose of this paper is to report two cases of cataracts associated with posterior capsular compromise, induced by Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic vitreous floaters.

Method: Case series.

Results: Two patients who underwent ND:YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic floaters, presented with decline in visual acuity in the treated eye after the laser procedure. At the slit-lamp biomicroscope, each patient was found to have a posterior subcapsular cataract in the treated eye, with obvious loss of integrity of the posterior capsule. These two patients underwent cataract extraction by the same surgeon via phacoemulsification. Both eyes were found to have a defect in the posterior capsule intraoperatively. In both cases, a three-piece acrylic intraocular lens implant was placed in the sulcus, achieving optic capture. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/20 in both patients, at 1 month following the surgery. At 2 months, one patient had a BCVA of 20/15. The second patient maintained a BCVA of 20/20 at 3 months.

Conclusions: Secondary cataract formation accompanied by loss of integrity of the posterior capsule is a potential complication of Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic floaters.