Nucleus management in manual small incision cataract surgery by phacosection

Endoexpression technique of nucleus delivery in manual small-incision cataract surgery

Manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS) is a cost-effective alternative to phacoemulsification and extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) for cataract surgery. The surgical technique in MSICS is heterogeneous, and the maximum variation exists in incision and nucleus delivery techniques. Many studies on various incisions are available, and most of them are dedicated to surgically induced astigmatism (SIA), utility, and visual outcomes. The nucleus delivery techniques have less-extensive literature available. They can be divided into "pulling" techniques like phacosandwich technique, fish hook technique, and vectis delivery and "pushing" techniques like viscoexpression or hydroexpression with irrigating vectis/Blumenthal's MiniNuc technique. Postoperative surgical-induced astigmatism is comparable in all techniques. The authors describe a pushing technique which does not raise the pressure of the anterior chamber and can be utilized with variable-sized and irregularly shaped nuclear fragments. It has universal application, especially when the size of the incision is getting smaller in MSICS and phacofragmentation is being used as an adjunct to reduce the incision size. It can be used in situations like posterior polar cataracts, where pressure variations in the anterior chamber can be dangerous.

Comparative study between conventional and 4 mm manual small-incision cataract surgery

Purpose

Comparative study of intraoperative and postoperative complications, visual outcomes, and cost-effectiveness between conventional and 4-mm manual small-incision cataract surgery with MVR blade.

Methods

In total, 600 patients having nuclear sclerosis grade I-IV were operated under peribulbar anesthesia and were divided into two groups of 300 each. In group A (300), conventional small-incision cataract surgery was done, whereas in group B (300), 4-mm manual small-incision cataract surgery was performed through a 4-mm sclerocorneal tunnel. A wire vectis was passed through the 4-mm incision below the nucleus to stabilize it, and a 20-G MVR blade was introduced from 11o'clock limbus and nucleus was bisected into two halves, which were removed through main incision. Cortical wash was given, and foldable IOL was implanted. Intraoperative and postoperative complications between the two groups were compared. Postoperative visual outcome and surgically induced astigmatism between the two groups was studied.

Results

The most common intraoperative complication was hyphema (11.33%) and irido-dialysis (8.00%), whereas postoperatively, striate keratopathy (36.33%) and hyphema (19.33%) were common. Short-term complications such as striate keratopathy, hyphema, and irido-dialysis were significantly more in group B, and long-term results in terms of visual outcome and surgically induced astigmatism were significantly less in group B.

Conclusion

Although intraoperative and short-term postoperative complications were observed more in 4-mm manual small-incision cataract surgery, it was found to be more effective in terms of surgically induced astigmatism and final visual outcome. In addition, it is cost-effective as compared to phacoemulsification.

Evolution of manual small-incision cataract surgery from 8 mm to 2 mm - A comprehensive review

Cataract is the most common cause of reversible blindness worldwide, accounting for approximately 50% of blindness worldwide. Cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure performed in routine ophthalmic practice. It has undergone tremendous evolution, and the incision size has progressively reduced from 10-12 mm in extracapsular cataract surgery (ECCE) to 6-8 mm for manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS) and 2.2-2.8 mm in phacoemulsification. In a developing country like India, with a massive backlog of cataract, everyone cannot afford private surgery like phacoemulsification. Moreover, annual maintenance of the machine, cost of foldable IOLs, need for greater skill, learning curve, and difficulty in performing the surgery in mature and brown cataracts are other barriers. Due to these factors, MSICS is the surgery of choice in the developing world, with profound societal and economic benefits and similar visual recovery compared to phacoemulsification. During the last two decades, MSICS gained popularity in developing countries and has undergone tremendous advances. This article aims to review the various techniques of MSICS and how the surgery has evolved over the years, particularly focusing on the current technique of 2-mm MSICS.

Comparison of surgically induced astigmatism between horizontal and X-pattern sutures in the scleral tunnel incisions for manual small incision cataract surgery

Background:

Two types of popular scleral tunnel sutures in the manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) are horizontal and X-pattern sutures. Surgically induced corneal astigmatism (SIA) is a useful indicator of the suturing effect.

Aims:

To compare SIA between horizontal and X-pattern sutures in the scleral tunnel incisions for MSICS.

Design:

Prospective, nonrandomized comparative trial.

Materials and Methods:

After superior scleral tunnel incision and capsulorhexis, the nucleus was prolapsed into the anterior chamber and delivered. The wound was sutured with either horizontal or X-pattern suture. The simulated keratometry values were derived from the corneal topography preoperatively and 1.5 and 3 months postoperatively.

Statistical Analysis:

The SIA was calculated by Cartesian coordinates based analysis.

Results:

Sixty-four patients (32 patients in each group) were included in the study. In the horizontal suture group, the SIA centroid values at 1.5 and 3 months after the surgery were 0.87 × 1° and 1.11 × 180°, respectively, showing induction of against-the-rule astigmatism. In the X-pattern suture group, the SIA centroid values at 1.5 and 3 months after the surgery were 0.61 × 97° and 0.66 × 92°, respectively, showing induction of mild with-the-rule astigmatism. The difference between the amount of SIA at 1.5 and 3 months after surgery was small.

Conclusion:

In the MSICS, the X-pattern sutures were preferred to the horizontal sutures in the patients without significant preoperative steepening in line with the central meridian of the incision. In the cases with significant preoperative steepening, sutureless surgery or horizontal sutures were preferred. Corneal astigmatism in the patients undergoing MSICS was stable at 1.5 months after the surgery.

Use of the anterior chamber maintainer in trabeculectomy following vitrectomy

PURPOSE

To retrospectively observe the effects of anterior chamber maintainer (ACM) placement in glaucoma patients undergoing trabeculectomy following vitrectomy.

METHODS

Trabeculectomy was performed on 51 secondary glaucoma patients (51 eyes), all of whom had undergone vitrectomy. During trabeculectomy, an ACM was placed in 27 eyes (group A), but not in the remaining 24 (group B). Intra- and post-operative complications were recorded. Intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were recorded pre-operatively and repeated post-operatively on follow up days 1, 3, and 7, and months 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24. Surgical success rates were recorded.

RESULTS

Mean pre-operative IOPs of groups A and B were 32.74 ± 11.25 and 34.29 ± 9.68 mmHg, respectively. In group A, anterior chamber bleeding (two cases), and choroidal detachment and/or ciliary detachment (four cases) occurred. In group B, anterior chamber bleeding (five cases), and choroidal detachment and/or ciliary detachment (11 cases) occurred. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups. There also was statistically significant difference in post-operative IOPs between the two groups at 12 and 24 months. The surgical success rate of group A was higher than that of group B.

CONCLUSION

ACM is effective in maintaining IOP and reducing complications during trabeculectomy following vitrectomy, thereby increasing surgical success rates.