Comparison of actual vacuum pressures at the end of 3 phacoemulsification tips in swine eyes.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the actual vacuum pressure at the end of an aspiration bypass system (ABS) phaco tip and a conventional tip in conditions similar to those during human cataract surgery.


METHODS
Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul, Korea.


METHODS
A 4.0 mm diameter rubber eraser ball was inserted in a phacoemulsified swine eye and engaged to a phaco tip. With a vacuum pressure of 300 mm Hg, the eraser ball was pulled in the opposite direction with the phaco tip. The pulling power separating the eraser ball from the phaco tip was measured using the volume of water dripped into a container connected to the eraser ball. Measurements were taken with an Infiniti ABS tip and 2 conventional tips: Sovereign (conventional tip S) and Infiniti (conventional tip I). Measurements were taken alternatively at random in the same eye.


RESULTS
The mean pulling power was 17.35 mL +/- 5.01 (SD) with conventional tip S and 16.85 +/- 4.45 mL with conventional tip I. The mean pulling power of the ABS tip was 13.35 +/- 4.32 mL, which was a mean 20.8% lower than that of conventional tip I (P = .016) and 23.1% lower than that of conventional tip S (P = .010).


CONCLUSIONS
The actual vacuum pressure of the phaco tip was significantly influenced by the presence of the ABS hole. To compensate for the decrease in actual vacuum pressure, surgeons should be aware of the characteristics of the ABS tip being used and change the standard settings accordingly.
Park
Sang Hoon
SH
Department of Ophthalmology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Choi
Chul Young
CY
Kim
Joon Mo
JM
Chang
Hae Ran
HR
Kim
Jae Yong
JY
Kim
Myoung Joon
MJ
Tchah
Hungwon
H
Kim
Jae Chan
JC
D000818:Animals; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011312:Pressure; D013396:Suction; D013552:Swine; D014618:Vacuum