J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2013 Sep;54(9):1353-1358.

Comparison of Surgical Parameters and Outcomes According to the Phacoemulsification Technique

• Kim S
• Ko DA
• Kim JY
• Kim MJ
• Tchah HW

Abstract

PURPOSE
To compare intraoperative parameters and postoperative results between divide-and-conquer and multiple phaco-chop technique.
METHODS
Two different techniques were performed by one operator on the patients with bilateral cataract. One eye was phacoemulsified by divide-and-conquer technique (D eye), and the other was performed by multiple phaco-chop technique (M eye). Changes of central corneal thickness during the operation, total phaco-time and phaco-energy were measured.
RESULTS
Total 29 patients were included. The change of central corneal thickness were 8.4 +/- 11.8 microm in D eye and 11.5 +/- 16.7 microm in M eye, which showed no significant difference (p = 0.350) and total phaco-time were 70.1 +/- 32.9 seconds in D eye and 71.1 +/- 55.0 seconds in M eye, which also showed no significant difference (p = 0.689). However, phaco-energy were 12.4 +/- 8.3 power x s in D eye and 8.4 +/- 9.9 power x s in M eye, and this result showed significantly larger energy when using divide-and-conquer technique (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
There was no significant difference in change of central corneal thickness and phaco-time between two techniques, divide-and-conquer and multiple phaco-chop technique. However, significantly smaller phaco energy was used by multiple phaco-chop technique compared with divide-and-conquer technique.

Keyword

Cataract surgery; Divide and conquer; Multiple phaco-chop; Phacoemulsification; Phaco energy

MeSH Terms

Cataract
Eye
Humans
Phacoemulsification

Figure

• 

  Figure 1. Multiple phaco-chop technique. (A) split the nucleus along its natural cleavage planes with second instrμ ment, chop-per, while holding the nucleus with high vacuμ m. (B) rotate the split nucleus. (C) split the nucleus in different direction using the same process with (A) Repeat a and (B) to split the nucleus in several different direction, then emulsify the nucleus mainly using negative pressure.

• 

  Figure 2. Comparison of surgical parameters and outcomes according to the phacoemulsification technique. DivC = divide and conquer technique; MultiPC = multiple phaco-chop technique.

Reference

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