Iatrogenic Posterior Lens Capsule Rupture and Subsequent Complications due to Nd:YAG Laser Vitreolysis for Vitreous Floaters: A Case Report

Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis has been used as a noninvasive approach to treat visually significant vitreous strands and floaters. However, severe vision-threatening complications may occur. The authors describe a rare case of a 60-year-old woman who had suffered rupture of the posterior lens capsule with subsequent cataract formation 1 week post-Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis in the right eye. The authors performed phacoemulsification, pars plana vitrectomy, and intraocular lens implantation at the ciliary sulcus. At 1 month post-surgery, the patient's visual acuity had not recovered well and optical coherence tomography showed epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation. Thus, she underwent secondary pars plana vitrectomy for ERM removal. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:e214–e217.]