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Study: Bimanual MICS, microphaco incisions comparable
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HONG KONG — An analysis of the quality of incisions in bimanual microincision surgery and microincision coaxial phaco showed equivalent good incision quality in both procedures, according to a speaker here at the World Ophthalmology Congress.
 Jorge L. Alió |
Jorge L. Alió, MD, PhD, of the Vissum Institute in Alicante, Spain, presented the results of a study using the Visante OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec) corneal incision analysis model on 25 eyes of 16 patients who underwent bimanual microincision cataract surgery (MICS) and 25 eyes of 18 patients who underwent microphaco coaxial phacoemulsification. Prof. Alió performed all surgeries, and postoperative analysis was performed by an independent observer.
Prof. Alió said that the main difference between the two surgeries is that MICS employs a sleeveless or unprotected phaco tip, while microphaco uses a sleeved or protected phaco tip. He noted that the bare titanium tip in MICS is potentially harmful to the incision wound. Prof. Alió said he performs MICS with a 1.2-mm incision and microphaco with a 2.2-mm incision.
Incisional angle geometry assessed using Visante OCT showed "excellent quality in both groups with no statistically significant differences," he said.
The only notable difference observed in the study between MICS and microphaco was less corneal edema in MICS cases at postop day 1.
"MICS showed less corneal thickness in an area of 3 mm and 5 mm of the cornea but only on day 1," Prof. Alió said.
Prof. Alió noted that all other OCT outcome parameters including topographic corneal and ocular aberrometric variables did not differ significantly.
"At month 1, all of the incisions in both groups were perfect, without any gaping or endothelial bulge or Descemet's detachment," he said.
"MICS is associated with less corneal edema in the short-term outcomes and less induction of corneal aberrations in the long-term results," Prof. Alió said.
Because incision quality has a tremendous influence on the overall outcome of cataract surgery, Prof. Alió said he found Visante OCT corneal incision analysis model useful in assessing the quality of the incisions in cataract surgery. He also noted that smaller incisions minimize trauma to the eye and create a better surgery.