Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty

The skills learned from cataract surgery, such as working within the anterior chamber and pivoting within the incisions, can be … More

Quiz: What is this white material floating around?

Quiz time: What is this white material as seen in this aphakic eye? The 75 year old patient was noted … More

Quiz: Cataract Surgery in Fuchs’ Corneal Dystrophy

Look carefully at the picture and tell me what you would do differently for this cataract surgery. This patient has … More

The Most Extreme Myopia that I’ve seen in 20+ years

An average eye has an axial length of about 23 to 24 mm, but this patient had an axial length … More

Guest Cataract Surgery: Tiny Pupil with Synechiae

This patient had a prior uveitic episode which resulted in the formation of posterior synechiae, where the iris, at the … More

Surgical Peripheral Iridotomy using 23g Vitrector

There are times when you will need to make a surgical iridotomy either during cataract surgery or as a stand-alone … More

Small Pupil, Dense Cataract, Corneal Scar, Glaucoma

The key to approaching a difficult surgery is to use a stepwise approach. In the case presented here, we have … More

Bleeding in the Anterior Chamber during surgery

It is unusual to encounter bleeding in the anterior chamber during cataract surgery, but rarely it does happen. The typical … More

Cataract Surgery after Prior Uveitis Issues

Doing cataract surgery in an eye with a prior history of uveitis can be more challenging than a typical case. … More

Cataract Surgery in Pigment Dispersion Syndrome

Cataract surgery in patients with Pigment Dispersion Syndrome can be challenging due to the anatomic changes which have happened over … More

Should we do bilateral same-day cataract surgery?

On rare occasions, I will do immediate, bilateral sequential cataract surgery so that a patient can have both right eye … More

Cataract Surgery in Deep Set Eyes

Performing intra-ocular surgery in a deep set eye is challenging because the access is limited. In the case shown here, … More

Treating Iris Bleeding during Cataract Surgery

Typically, modern day phacoemsulification cataract surgery is relatively bloodless because we are making incisions in the cornea and then operating … More

Hidden Nuclear Fragment during Cataract Surgery

When we break up the cataract during phaco surgery, we create many small little pieces which are then aspirated from … More

Ocular Albinism Cataract Surgery

Ocular albinism poses a number of challenges for cataract surgery. The patient often has concomitant nystagmus, underlying amblyopia, macular issues, … More

Cataract Surgery in Retinitis Pigmentosa

While retinitis pigmentosa is considered a rare disease, it occurs with enough frequency that every cataract surgeon will encounter it … More

Soft Posterior Polar Cataract Technique

This is a patient with a history of high hyperopia (+7.5 of hyperopia) and posterior polar cataracts since childhood. The … More

Cataract Surgery with Glaucoma Shunts

Los Angeles is an amazing city which is very diverse and when I am teaching the UCLA ophthalmology residents, we … More

Removal of a Posterior Capsule Plaque

When we remove the cataractous lens there is sometimes a posterior plaque that is adherent to the capsule. How do … More

Surgical Approach for a Morgagnian Cataract

With a white cataract, typically the cortical layers opacify and may partially liquify, and that can make the surgery more … More

Cataract Surgery after Prior Vitrectomy

Cataract surgery in an eye which has undergone a prior pars plana vitrectomy is different in many ways, including lens … More

Cataract Surgery in Marfan Syndrome

Patients with Marfan Syndrome have a congenital, progressive weakness in the zonular structures which support the crystalline lens. As such, … More

Preventing and Treating Capsular Phimosis

The capsular bag contracts when we remove the thick cataract (4+ mm thick) and replace it with a thin IOL … More

Salzmann Nodules and Cataract Surgery

Salzmann nodules occur at the limbus or peripheral cornea and can disrupt the ocular surface, even causing an irregular ocular … More

Quiz: Persistent Corneal Edema – Why?

This 70 year old patient had successful cataract surgery about one month ago. There were no complications. The patient has … More

Efficient Cataract Surgery for Spastic Patient

Rushing during surgery, especially cataract surgery, is a bad decision. It can lead to complications which can cause a poor … More

Cataract Surgery in Fuchs’ Corneal Dystrophy

Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy is a disorder in which the corneal endothelium becomes progressively weak, leading to corneal decompensation and decreased … More

Complex Cataract: multiple challenging issues

This patient had a large rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repaired a few years ago with a successful pars plana vitrectomy. The … More

Why is phaco chop not working here?

This patient certainly needs cataract surgery because the dense nucleus has a large degree of central opacity and that has … More

A Cataract is not always what it seems…

Since we’ve spent so many years studying ophthalmology, the subtleties of our field become second nature to us. We can … More

Nevus of Ota Cataract Surgery

Nevus of Ota refers to hyperpigmented lesions on the sclera as well as peri-ocular skin. The color tends to … More