Posters

Microincision cataract surgery: tips and tricks to decrease the learning curve

Poster Details

First Author: M.Sharma INDIA

Co Author(s):    P. Matta   D. Nath   S. Ghai   R. Kumar Saxena     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Surgery for cataract has witnessed a technological revolution and the advances continue. Safer machines with advanced software allow surgeons to perform cataract surgery safely with less and less ultrasound power. The search for smaller and smaller incisions too continues. Towards this end, micro incision cataract surgery (MICS) has now become popular. There is a definite need to master MICS. We describe an approach to achieve skill in MICS by minor modifications in technique and instrumentation to decrease the learning curve.

Setting:

Private cum charitable academic organization

Methods:

1.8 mm MICS with microincision intraocular lens (MIL) implantation was performed in 52 eyes using the Stellaris 1.8 mm MICS platform by the surgeon who converted to this technique from 2.8 mm phacoemulsification. During this conversion the surgeon faced a definite learning curve and made modifications in surgery to master the technique of MICS.

Results:

The difficulties encountered during conversion included imperfect architecture and size incisions (12 eyes), hydration of wound due to wrong placement of sleeve (4 eyes), inability to get a good hold on the cataract while chopping due to higher vacuum and power settings (8 eyes), surge due to leaking wounds (4 eyes) and improper loading of MIL resulting difficult IOL implantation (2 eyes). Here we would describe simple small modifications in technique for overcoming these difficulties as well as the changes in the instruments (microincision capsulorhexis forceps, modified chopper etc) that was made to decrease the learning curve and master the technique of MICS.

Conclusions:

For a surgeon familiar with the technique of phacoemulsification, performing 1.8 mm MICS is simple but has a definite learning curve which can be shortened by minor modifications in the technique and instrumentations. FINANCIAL INTEREST: NONE