Abstract
Purpose:
To compare corneal temperature at the surgical wound between three-port micro (1.1mm) incision cataract surgery (Tri-MICS) and two port mini (2.4mm) incision cataract surgery using a coaxial phacoemulsification tip
Methods:
Twenty patients underwent bilateral cataract surgery in a one-month period, one eye with Tri-MICS and the fellow eye with conventional coaxial mini-incision phacoemulsification. Inclusion criteria were age>18 and bilateral cataracts. Exclusion criteria were anterior segment pathology, glaucoma, endothelial cell density of <1500, extreme hyperopia or myopia and prior ocular surgery. Temperature at the corneal wound was recorded using infrared thermal imaging. Visual acuity, refraction, keratometry, endothelial cell count and corneal topography were tested at recruitment and at a final follow up visit.
Results:
Mean temperatures at the corneal surgical wound were around 31 degrees celsius, and maximal temperatures were around 40 degrees celsius in both groups. No corneal burns were observed during or after any of the surgeries
Conclusions:
The temperature profile at the surgical wound using a micro incisional sleeveless phacoemulsification technique is comparable to that of the conventional coaxial mini-incision method. Safety of micro-incisional phacoemulsification using a naked tip is at least as good as in the mini-incision sleeved technique.
Keywords: 445 cataract •
743 treatment outcomes of cataract surgery