Nitinol basket-assisted pars plana vitrectomy for retained lens material removal

To evaluate the usefulness of different types of nitinol baskets to capture, lift and hold the lens material, dropped during a complicated phacoemulsification, as an adjunctive surgical tool in vitreoretinal surgery and to evaluate the outcomes and complication of this new surgical technique in a small series of patients.

Patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for retained lens fragments operated during December 2014 and March 2015 at the Academic Medical Center (AMC), Amsterdam, were included in this study. The PPV was performed using different settings and types of nitinol stone extractors (NSE). Three different stone extractors were used for the above-mentioned purpose. Preoperative (pre-op) and postoperative (post-op) data including best corrected visual acuity at 6 months follow-up visit, intra- and postoperative complications were recorded.

Seven eyes of seven patients with a follow-up of 6 months were included in this study. All the vitrectomies were performed the same day of the complicated cataract extraction. Mean pre-op Snellen visual acuity was 20/160; mean post-op visual acuity was 20/32. No complications were encountered due to the use of the NSE intraocularly. No retinal breaks were observed due to traction of the catheter at the site of insertion or due to his movement in and out the vitreous cavity.

The use of the nitinol lens cage seemed feasible and showed no complications in our small group of patients. It made easier the management of dropped nucleus without the need for a larger scleral opening also in case of very hard lens.