JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

Abstract

Background: Cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation (IOL) is the standard treatment in managing the reversible blindness due to cataract. With advances in techniques and equipment there is dramatic increase in the popularity of phacoemulsification. Objective: To assess the efficacy of stop and chop and phaco chop nucleotomy techniques in terms of in-traoperative parameters such as: a) Mean phaco time (min), b) Mean phaco power (%), c) Effective phaco time (EPT)= phaco time (sec) x mean phaco power /100 and to document the intraoperative and postoperative complications, if any and compare the efficacy and safety between the techniques. Methods and Material: Prospective interventional study. A total of 88 patients were included in the study and were divided into two groups of 44 each. Patients in Group A underwent stop and chop nucleotomy and underwent phacochop nucleotomy technique in Group B. The parameters -MPP, MPT and the EPT were recorded, any intra and post-operative complications were recorded and compared between the two groups. Chi square test and paired t test. Results: The MPT, MPP and the EPT in Group A and Group B were 1.533,26.336,25.003 and 1.1332, 24.718 and 17.809 respectively with the ‘p’ values being <0.05.There were nil intra operative complications. Conclusion: The phaco chop nucleotomy technique is more efficacious compared to the stop and chop nucleotomy technique in terms of intra-operative parameters. It depends on the surgeon’s skill and precision to choose which nucleotomy technique to perform.

Keywords: Phaco chop nuleotomy, Stop and chop nucleotomy, Phacoemulsification