Loose Zonules, Steady Hands: Saving the Unstable Lens (Presentation and Discussion)

14 Dec 2025 10:50 11:00
許詠瑞 Yung-Ray HsuTaiwan Speaker Loose Zonules, Steady Hands: Saving the Unstable LensZonular dehiscence with vitreous prolapse represents one of the most challenging scenarios in cataract surgery. This case involves a 65-year-old female referred intraoperatively for severe temporal zonular dialysis extending 120° with vitreous prolapse into the anterior chamber. In such situations, initial management options depend on the degree of capsular support and the surgeon’s familiarity with the anterior or posterior segment approaches. Possible options include: (1) primary pars plana lensectomy and vitrectomy (PPLV) with Yamane double-needle intrascleral fixation of an IOL; (2) anterior vitrectomy with in-the-bag or supplemental scleral fixation of a one-piece IOL using sutures; (3) pars plana vitreous levitation–assisted phacoemulsification; or (4) use of hooks or rings to preserve capsular support for in-the-bag implantation. In this case, I stabilized the anterior capsule using iris retractors, performed a careful anterior vitrectomy, and completed a slow-motion phacoemulsification to minimize zonular stress. Following cortical cleanup, both an in-the-bag IOL and capsular tension ring (CTR) were successfully implanted. The patients visual acuity on postoperative day 1 was 0.9. This surgical video illustrates a practical surgical maneuver with controlled movements, vitreous management, and structural stabilization techniques that allow safe phacoemulsification even in the setting of profound zonular loss.Pattern and Distribution of Uveitis Etiologies in Taiwan: A Multi-Center Perspective Uveitis is a heterogeneous group of intraocular inflammatory disorders with diverse etiologies and variable regional patterns. To delineate the current epidemiologic landscape of uveitis in Taiwan, a nationwide multicenter retrospective study was conducted collaboratively by the Taiwan Ocular Inflammation Society. Newly diagnosed uveitis cases from July 2022 to June 2023 were collected from 15 tertiary referral centers across northern, central, southern, and eastern Taiwan. A total of 1,654 cases were analyzed. The mean age at onset was 49.5 ± 18.3 years, with nearly equal sex distribution (50.6% male). Anatomical classification includes anterior uveitis (64.3%), followed by panuveitis (22.4%), posterior uveitis (11.0%), and intermediate uveitis (2.3%). Etiologically, 43.6% were non-infectious, 23.5% infectious, and 32.9% undifferentiated. The leading non-infectious entities were HLA-B27/ankylosing spondylitis–related uveitis (15.4%), glaucomatocyclitic crisis (5.0%), and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (3.3%). Among infectious causes, herpetic anterior uveitis (7.7%), cytomegalovirus anterior uveitis (5.1%), and endogenous bacterial endophthalmitis (3.9%) predominated. This large-scale multicenter study represents the most comprehensive epidemiological overview of uveitis in Taiwan to date. The unique disease pattern and relevant diagnostic challenges will be analyzed in this talk.