Avoiding and Dealing with Complications

Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed ocular procedures with an average of 26 million surgeries being performed worldwide [1]. The techniques of performing cataract surgery have evolved at an astounding rate, it has transformed into a refractive procedure rather than a simple surgery for the extraction of cataracts. Still suboptimal surgical outcomes remain a challenge in modern-day cataract surgery. One of the most common causes of this is the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications. Efficient management of intraoperative complications offers the possibility of good visual acuity to the patient, and this differentiates a novice from an experienced surgeon. The importance of a good pre-operative evaluation and workup cannot be underestimated when anticipating complications. This may help us classify patients as high risk for complications and aid the surgeon to be prepared with the necessary instrumentation and mindset to tackle the case efficiently. This chapter will enumerate a few pearls in various cataract scenarios which will help anticipate complications during cataract surgery and manage them efficiently when they occur.