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Intraop pain in manual fragmentation higher than in phaco, but results similar
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A higher level of intraoperative pain may be experienced by patients undergoing manual phacofragmentation than by those undergoing phaco, according to a study presented here. However, no significant differences were found in patient cooperation, ease of surgery or surgical complications, the study found.
Pipat Kongsap, MD, who reported his findings here at the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, found that 70% of patients undergoing prechop manual phacofragmentation and 80% undergoing standard phacoemulsification reported no pain or slight discomfort.
He said 92 patients undergoing phaco or prechop manual phacofragmentation were asked to rate their pain level on a scale of 1 to 10 during surgery. All patients were given topical anesthesia.
Dr. Kongsap said the mean pain score was 1.62 in the prechop group and 1 and in the standard phaco group.
He said this difference was statistically significant (P = .01), but there was no significant difference in patient cooperation, ease of surgery or complications between the groups.