Posters

Phacoemulsification for left handed surgeons: modifications of standard technique

Poster Details

First Author: R.Rao INDIA

Co Author(s):    C. Kalamkar   A. Mukherjee   B. Patel              

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To present modifications in phacoemulsification (PE) technique for left handed surgeons (LHS) to improve surgical ease and highlight differences from standard procedure performed by right handed surgeons (RHS)

Setting:

Tertiary eye care hospital

Methods:

188 adult eyes underwent PE by LHS. Customization of each step was done to suit dominant left hand. Surgical training programs have traditionally been designed considering right hand as the dominant hand. Modifications:  Main incision: 1`o clock (superior )temporal [10`o clock (R/E)/ 3`o clock (L/E)]  Capsulorhexis : initial nick:opposite direction,flap rotation:clockwise (traditional anti-clockwise)  Holding phaco probe: position instrument trolley such that tubings aren’t stretched especially in left eye temporal position.  IOL holding and dialing : instead of starting from 12`o clock, bring trailing haptic to 6`o clock and then dial into bag.

Results:

There were no major intraoperative complications. All 188 eyes gained BCVA of 20/40 or more .Increased the ease of doing surgery and reduced surgical time. Limitation: increased difficulty in performing temporal surgery in right eye( Incision cannot be exactly at 9`o clock)

Conclusions:

Use of modified technique would improve ease of doing surgeries and post-operative outcomes. The modifications, customized for LHS, make steps easier and reduce intra-op complications.

Financial Disclosure:

None