Surgical Instrument’s Tip Fracture During Cataract Surgery

Purpose: To describe a case of a surgical instrument’s tip fracture during cataract surgery. Method: Case report. Results: We report a case of a 60-year-old gentleman who underwent phacoemulsification of the left eye. It was noted that the tip of the second instrument (lens chopper) was fractured during the last quadrant removal of the opacified lens, which disappeared posteriorly. The surgery was successfully completed, and the intraocular lens appeared stable without posterior capsular rent. An urgent computed tomography scan (CT scan) of orbit was arranged. It showed a round radio opaque foreign body near the lens at the lateral aspect of the left intraocular lens (IOL), measuring approximately 0.3cm. The patient underwent foreign body removal using an intraocular magnet by a vitreoretinal surgeon two days after the phacoemulsification surgery. The patient had an uneventful recovery with a vision of 6/60 pinhole 6/6 at six weeks post operatively. Conclusion: Surgical instrument’s tip fracture is a known complication during phacoemulsification; however, it was under-reported among surgeons. Careful inspection of all instruments before introducing them to the eye is mandatory, and early identification of this condition during surgery may avoid major complications.