title: Transconjunctival corneoscleral tunnel "blue line" cataract incision.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the technique and astigmatic results of the blue line cataract incision.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Buzzard Eye Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 411 eyes of 271 patients who had cataract extraction by phacoemulsification with a self-sealing 3.0 mm blue line cataract incision. The blue line incision is performed with a diamond knife transconjunctively, 2.0 mm behind the surgical limbus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean patient age was 68 years (range 40 to 94 years) and mean preoperative astigmatism, 0.96 diopter (D) +/- 0.78 (SD). Uncorrected visual acuity at 1 day was 20/40 or better in 47% of patients. Mean spherical equivalent was -0.57 +/- 0.78 D at 6 months. Mean postoperative astigmatism measured with a subtraction method was 1.00 +/- 0.84 D at 6 months. Vector analysis showed an induced astigmatism of -0.47 +/- 1.00 D at 1 month, -0.58 +/- 0.81 D at 3 months, and -0.57 +/- 0.99 D at 6 months. No complications such as wound leakage or hyphema occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The blue line incision combines the efficiency of the clear corneal with the safety of the scleral tunnel cataract incision and appears to be relatively astigmatically neutral.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, USA.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Buzard
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Febbraro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000601:surgery*; D003315:Cornea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012590:Sclera / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity