The chopper is used for many different functions during cataract surgery, beyond just chopping the nucleus into smaller fragments. Cataract surgery is a two-handed procedure and both hands should participate in using the phaco probe to remove the nucleus. The chopper should push nuclear pieces to the phaco tip and protect the posterior capsule. We can even use the chopper to fixate the eye, dial-in an IOL, or lift the iris.
One-handed phaco is not a great procedure as it results in more ultrasonic energy being used and a less efficient surgery. While a few senior surgeons stick to the one-handed phaco approach that they learned many decades ago, it is not recommended for modern surgery.
Click below to learn how to use the chopper to push nuclear pieces to the phaco tip:
