Explantation of endocapsular posterior chamber lens after spontaneous posterior dislocation

The management of spontaneous posterior dislocation of an intraocular lens (IOL) (11.0 mm in overall diameter) encapsulated within the remaining lens capsule is presented. The patient was a 55-year-old man who had had phacoemulsification following continuous curvilinear capsulotomy for monocular cataract 3 years earlier. The dislocated, encapsulated IOL was lifted up by hooking the fibrotic capsular opening with a bent disposable needle following vitrectomy and then explanted. A conventional posterior chamber lens with modified C-loops was inserted and sutured in the ciliary sulcus. This technique may be an alternative treatment for a posteriorly dislocated IOL. Histopathological examination clearly revealed that lens epithelial cell migration stopped at the planoconvex optic edge. This finding may be consistent with reports that the incidence of posterior capsule opacification with the planoconvex IOL is lower than with the biconvex IOL.