Results of cryoextraction of dislocated and severely subluxated lenses

The author reports on the results of cryoextraction of dislocated lenses in 248 cases (74 cases of severe subluxation, 88 lenses dislocated to the middle of the vitreous body, 67 lenses lying on the retina, 19 lenses dislocated into the anterior chamber). In most of the cases the cause was a contusion of the eye. A self-made cryosurgery unit with fiber optic accessories for examining the vitreous body is described. The only serious complication of cryoextraction was retinal detachment (8%). The affected eyes had, as a rule, already suffered considerable damage due to trauma. In most of the cases it was possible to achieve good (1.25-0.5) to reasonable (0.4-0.1) visual acuity. It is argued that removal of the dislocated lens should not be postponed for as long as possible, as has been the practice hitherto; the operation should be performed without delay, while the destruction of the vitreous body is still circumscribed and before any adhesions have appeared between the lens and the retina.