Posterior Capsule Polishing and Postoperative Opacification in Intercapsular Cataract Surgery

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether polishing the posterior capsule during uncomplicated intercapsular cataract surgery prevents or reduces the amount of postoperative capsular fibrosis. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, controlled, double-masked assessment of postoperative results at 1 week, 6 weeks and 6 months. SETTING: the Ophthalmic Outpatient Department, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Redditch. PATIENTS: 25 adult patients requiring bilateral cataract extraction, i.e. elderly, bilateral cataracts reducing the visual acuity to 6/18 or less, were admitted to the study. On a random basis one eye had the posterior capsule polished, the other eye, operated on at the same time, acted as control. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Snellen visual acuity, contrast sensitivity (Pelli Robson chart) and posterior capsule observation. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the two groups when the Snellen visual acuity ( P = 0.125) or contrast sensitivity was compared. Any observed difference in the amount of capsular fibrosis was also not significant ( P = 0.1796). CONCLUSIONS: Capsule polishing in uncomplicated Intercapsular cataract extraction did not influence the occurrence or severity of postoperative posterior capsule opacification as compared to the control eye in this group of patients. In view of the risks of posterior capsular rupture this practice is brought into question.