Evaluation of in situ fracture versus phaco chop techniques.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify and compare the phaco time required using in situ nucleofracture and phaco chop techniques.


METHODS
Center for Research on Ocular Therapeutics and Biodevices and Miyake Laboratory, Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.


METHODS
Thirty human eyes obtained postmortem were randomly divided into 2 groups of 15 eyes each. In situ nucleofracture or phaco chop was performed in each group. The phaco time required for each technique was determined.


RESULTS
The mean phaco time was 0.91 minutes +/- 0.37 (SD) for the phaco chop and 1.56 +/- 0.89 minutes for the in situ fracture technique (P < .015).


CONCLUSIONS
The phaco chop technique reduced phaco time and total phaco power consumed during phacoemulsification without imposing a risk of intraoperative complications.
Ram
J
J
Department of Ophthalmology, Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
Wesendahl
T A
TA
Auffarth
G U
GU
Apple
D J
DJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007907:Lens Nucleus, Crystalline / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors