Management of cataract in patients undergoing vitrectomy

We developed two techniques to combine vitrectomy with cataract extraction. In technique 1, we used the lens fragmenter to break up cataractous lenses with 1 + to 2 + nuclear sclerosis. The vitrophage removed the lens and opaque vitreous body through a single pars plana incision. In technique 2, if the knife did not penetrate the nucleus (in the presence of 3+ or more nuclear sclerosis), we removed the lens through a corneal incision and immediately performed a vitrectomy with a vitrophage through the pars plana. In ten consecutive patients, we used these techniques successfully to remove cataractous lenses in patients undergoing vitrectomy for vitreous hemorrhage.