Phacoemulsification and opaque intraocular lens implantation for the treatment of intractable diplopia.

Intractable diplopia secondary to paralytic strabismus may be treated with the occlusion of the affected eye. Established treatments include occlusion with a patch, opaque spectacles or contact lenses, and performing upper lid lowering procedures or tarsorrhaphies. Two cases are presented in which intractable diplopia was resolved by performing clear lens phacoemulsification and the insertion of an opaque intraocular lens. Both patients reported a resolution of their diplopia having been dissatisfied with other forms of treatment. Although opaque intraocular lens insertion is not recommended as the initial treatment of choice in such cases, it offers a valuable treatment option for those patients in whom other forms of therapy have failed.