When I have lectured at large ophthalmic meetings, I would sometimes pause and ask the audience members to raise their hands if they have experienced a ruptured capsule. Of course, 100% of the hands go up because every cataract surgeon will experience this issue and many times it is due to the patient’s tissue and anatomy. This case showcases a very talented young surgeon who helps this patient with a posterior polar cataract. Everything is done beautifully and there are no surgical missteps but yet the posterior capsule splits open and an anterior vitrectomy is required. This is common in posterior polar cataracts, even among expert and experienced surgeons. The key is to recognize the issue, react appropriately, rescue the case, and recover nicely. This is exactly what is done in this case. I have also previously shown a case where I helped a patient with posterior polar cataracts and I too had to perform an anterior vitrectomy. The patient achieved 20/20 vision and is one of the happiest patients of my career.
