title: Ultrasonic turbulences at the phacoemulsification tip.
abstract: With small incision surgery, lens extraction can be performed in a closed system. However, phacoemulsification creates invisible turbulences in the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye. We recreated these turbulences in vitro and evaluated them in relation to the phacoemulsifier intensity setting. Low ultrasonic intensities created spherical turbulences in front of the phacoemulsification tip. However, with high intensity settings, expanding turbulences were seen over a distance of 50 mm. Therefore we prefer emulsifying the lens in the posterior chamber with a low intensity setting even though longer exposure time is required.
authors.affiliation: Zentralklinikum Augsburg, West Germany.
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Krey
mesh_terms: D002387:Cataract Extraction; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D014465:Ultrasonics