Corneal burn: a rare complication of radiofrequency diathermy capsulotomy

We present 2 patients with accidental corneal burns inflicted during clear cornea cataract surgery using radiofrequency diathermy for anterior capsulotomy. During the capsulotomy procedure, the anterior capsule was not opened and only a small air bubble appeared when the energy was turned on. Meanwhile the area of the corneal tunnel that contacted the shoulder of the diathermy tip became opaque and shrank with a small defect in the anterior corneal lip. Postoperatively, focal corneal shrinkage with iris incarceration into the defect of the corneal tunnel and resultant peaking pupil were noted in the 2 patients. The corneal burns resulted in temporary irregular astigmatism with mild visual acuity impairment. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a corneal burn as a complication of radiofrequency diathermy for anterior capsulotomy in clear cornea cataract surgery.