The dropped nucleus, one of the most feared complications of modern cataract surgery like phacoemulsification. Prior to this, dropped nuclei rarely occurred because the entire lens was expressed through a large corneal wound, without intralenticular manipulations, in a technique called extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE). Increased pressure in the posterior segment inevitably directed the lens forward and through the incision.
Although vitreous loss was a complication of ECCE, the constant posterior-to-anterior pressure gradient ensured that the nucleus was delivered externally and did not drop into the vitreous. This video demonstrates the surgical management of dropped nucleus.
