Pars plana lensectomies or membranulectomies were performed on 67 eyes with posterior capsule removal in every case, with follow-up of 60 eyes for more than 3 months (mean: 18 months). No peroperative or early postoperative complication was specifically related to the procedure employed. Irvine's syndromes and retinal detachments were the two most severe late complications. Four of the 5 Irvine's syndromes occurred after a membranulectomy and this encouraged systematic removal of the posterior capsule, knowing the risk of postoperative opacification; 3 of these 5 eyes, in fact, had a final visual acuity better than 6/10. Four of the 5 retinal detachments occurred after traumatic cataract removal, 2 of them associated with intraocular foreign body and 1 with penetrating injury. Retinal detachment prophylaxis in these high risk eyes should be based above all on systematic vitrectomy at the end of the lensectomy, and therefore the pars plana approach must be used. The pars plana approach for cataracts and membranules is effective and reasonably safe at the present time.