Comparison of cumulative dissipated energy utilized in phaco chop versus divide and conquer during phacoemulsification as performed by a resident surgeon

摘要

Purpose : The divide and conquer technique for cataract extraction is the traditional technique that has been taught during residency training. However, several other techniques for cataract extraction have been developed and include the phaco chop technique, which eliminates sculpting of the cataractous lens performed in the traditional technique of divide and conquer. This study tests the hypothesis that the phaco chop technique can be an effective and efficient technique to learn during residency training. Methods : This is a retrospective review of 137 patients who underwent cataract extraction by a single resident surgeon over a one-year period. In 67 patients, the divide and conquer technique was utilized, while the phaco chop technique was performed in 70 patients. The cumulative dissipated energy (CDE), total phacoemulsification time, and operative time were compared between the two groups using the two-tailed studenta??s t-test for statistical analysis. Results : Cumulative dissipated energy was significantly lower in the phaco chop group (mean 6.66 +/- 5.11[SD]) than in the divide and conquer group (mean 12.71 +/- 5.94)(p 0.001) as was total phacoemulsification time (mean 27.30 sec +/- 20.63 in the phaco chop group vs mean 45.42 sec +/- 18.81 in the divide and conquer group [p 0.001]). Additionally, the operative time was significantly shorter in the phaco chop group (mean 12.23 min +/- 5.25) than in the divide and conquer group (mean 18.51 min +/- 7.18) (p 0.001). Conclusions : Our results indicate that the phaco chop technique can be an effective and efficient technique to learn during residency training. The phaco chop technique may require less phacoemulsification energy than the divide and conquer technique, leading to more efficient removal of the nucleus and thus allowing for shorter operative times. This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.