# The forbidden touch: mechanical clearing of gas-induced crystalline lens feathering during vitrectomy surgery

## TL;DR

A new surgical technique is introduced to improve visibility during vitrectomy by mechanically clearing gas-induced lens feathering without cataract removal.

## Contribution

A novel intraoperative method using a light pipe to clear lens feathering during vitrectomy is presented.

## Key findings

- Using a light pipe to massage lens vacuoles improves surgical visualization during vitrectomy.
- The technique effectively clears gas-induced lens feathering without requiring cataract extraction.
- The method is efficient and can be applied during vitreoretinal surgery.

## Abstract

Lens feathering due to intraocular gas may cause significant challenges with intraoperative visualization during posterior segment surgery. Herein, we describe an intraoperative technique for improving posterior segment visualization impacted by lens feathering.

New technique to improve visualization in vitrectomy from gas-induced cataract.

The light pipe is used to gently massage posterior subcapsular lens vacuoles to improve the surgical view intraoperatively.

We report an effective and efficient technique to improve lens feathering during vitreoretinal surgery without need for cataract extraction.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40942-024-00565-1.