Intraoperative clouding of a posterior chamber intraocular lens

Abstract

The glistening and delayed opacification of intraocular lenses (IOLs) has been reported in literature as a late and permanent change in the acrylic IOL due to temperature change. We report a case in which clouding and opacification of an IOL occurred intraoperatively within a few seconds of implantation into the capsular bag after routine phacoemulsification. This phenomenon occurred due to the sudden change in temperature of a very cold IOL being implanted into the eye at body temperature. The opaqueness lasted for about 3h then cleared without any residual or permanent change to the IOL. This case highlights the effect of environmental factors on hydrophillic acrylic IOLs. It is particularly important in cold countries and during the winter months. It also reinforces the practice of storing the IOL at a correct temperature to avoid sudden fluctuations in its surrounding environment.