To report breakage of a 25 gauge vitreous cutter during vitreous surgery. Int erventional case report. A 60 year old woman was referred for management of an epiretinal membrane at the macula. Visual acuity was 20/100 in the affected lef t eye. Vitreous surgery using a 25 gauge vitrectomy system was carried out with a combination of conventional cataract surgery. The vitreous cutter was lodged within the sclerotomy cannula after peripheral vitrectomy and was pulled togethe r with the cannula. The cannula was reinserted by trocar, but as the floating pe eled epiretinal membrane was dissected with the vitreous cutter, the tip of the cutter was broken and was aspirated with the membrane. Stereoscopic microscopy a nd scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the edge that had broken at th e cutter port was smooth. Although 25 gauge instruments remain useful, care sho uld be taken against rare surgical complications related to their fragility. A report of a 25 gauge vitreous cutter during vitreous surgery. Int erventional case report. A 60 year old woman was referred for management of an epiretinal membrane at the macula. Visual acuity was 20/100 in the affected lef t eye. Vitreous surgery using a 25 gauge vitrectomy system was carried out with a combination of conventional cataract surgery. The vitreous cutter was lodged within the sclerotomy cannula after peripheral vitrectomy and was pulled to gethe r with the cannula. The cannula was reinserted by trocar, but as the floating pe eled epiretinal membrane was dissected with the vitreous cutter, the tip of the cutter was broken and was aspirated with the membrane. Stereoscopic microscopy a nd scanning electron microscopy that that edge that had broken at th e cutter port was smooth. remain useful, care sho uld be taken against rare surgical complications related to their fragility.