Phacoemulsification

PARIS — In patients with uncontrolled open-angle glaucoma, better reduction of IOP was achieved when ab interno trabeculotomy was added to the combined treatment of phacoemulsification plus endocyclophotocoagulation than when it was not added, according to a study.

PARIS — The HORIZON trial at 3 years demonstrated that the Hydrus Schlemm’s canal stent added sustained IOP lowering to that achieved by cataract surgery alone, Gus Gazzard, MD, MBBChir, FRCOphth, said at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Wills Eye Hospital has expanded one of its training laboratories, allowing residents, fellows, faculty and others to practice basic and advanced surgical techniques.

The next 10 to 15 years may see a shift to office-based cataract surgery performed in specialized cataract surgery suites, which are less costly to construct and more convenient for patients than ASCs.

No additional benefit in IOP-lowering effect was seen when goniosynechialysis was added to phacoemulsification in patients with primary angle closure glaucoma and cataract.

When unused pharmaceuticals associated with phacoemulsification were measured at four surgical sites, the estimated annual cost of the wasted products reached approximately $195,200 per site, according to a study.

So, what makes a premium surgeon think about a nursery rhyme in the first place? Weasel means coat, and it was traditional for even poor people to own a suit, which they wore as their “Sunday best.” When times were hard, they would pawn their suit, or coat, on a Monday and claim it back before Sunday, hence the term “pop goes the weasel.”

Removing extremely dense cataracts can often be traumatic to the corneal endothelium due to the increased amount of phacoemulsification energy required to break up tough nuclei. The resulting edema can have a significant impact on corneal health, lasting from days to weeks after surgery. If these patients have underlying endothelial disease such as Fuchs’ dystrophy with an already borderline endothelium, cataract removal can cause full corneal decompensation. It has been well accepted that laser nuclear fragmentation significantly decreases the amount of phacoemulsification energy needed in the eye.

A heads-up 3-D visualization system had similar complication rates and duration of surgery as a traditional binocular microscope for cataract surgery, according to a study.