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Updated: May 28, 2026
Implantation Protocol of the Foldable Capsular Vitreous Body for Complex Vitreoretinal Surgery
Published on: April 14, 2026
23-Gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy for retained lens fragments after complicated cataract surgery
Fatih Horozoglu1, Ates Yanyali, Aydin Macin
1Department of Ophthalmology, Namik Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Tekirdag, Turkey. fhoroz@yahoo.com
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of 23-gauge (23-G) transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy in patients with retained lens fragments after complicated cataract surgery.
Methods:
In this retrospective consecutive case series, 17 eyes of 17 patients with retained lens fragments after complicated cataract surgery and managed by using 23-G transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy were evaluated between January 2007 and March 2009 at our institution.
Results:
Mean follow-up time was 8.5 ± 3.00 months. Nine patients (53%) were pseudophakic, and 8 (47%) were aphakic. A foldable acrylic intraocular lens was implanted in eight eyes with aphakia. In 2 eyes (11.8%), one of 23-G sclerotomy port was enlarged and intravitreal phacoemulsification was performed with 20-gauge phacofragmatome to remove hard nucleus. Visual acuity improved in 100% of eyes and was 20/40 or better in 70.6% of eyes. Postoperative complications were transient elevation of intraocular pressure (29.4%), decentralization of the intraocular lens (5.9%), fibrin reaction (5.9%), mild vitreous hemorrhage (5.9%), and macular retinal pigment epithelial changes (5.9%).
Conclusion:
Twenty-three-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy was observed to be effective and safe in patients with retained lens fragments after complicated cataract surgery. In cases with hard nucleus, 23-G vitrectomy probe may not be adequate to remove the lens fragments.
