What is your ideal cataract surgery case?
- Not your fastest case. Speed does not matter. Efficiency does, but that’s a different story. When a future ophthalmologist does cataract surgery on my eyes, please spend an extra minute or two to make it beautiful.
- Not your slickest case. While it is fun, and instructive, show show a slick maneuver, such as the twist method to explant an IOL, these are not the routine, day-to-day cases in my practice.
- Not your most difficult case. We all get tough cases which challenge us and there is a feeling of relief when we get through these without complications.
- Not your easiest case. We can all prolapse and aspirate a butter-soft PSC cataract in just a few seconds, but these are not the common cases in our clinic.
Your ideal case is one where you are in a state of flow, as we have described before. The surgery unfolds and progresses easily and naturally, there is a sense that the surgeon is in total control of the situation and the results are simply beautiful.
The case shown here is just that type of case and it is what I try to achieve for all of my routine cataract surgeries.
- Incisions are well-constructed
- the capsulorhexis is round, well-centered, and overlaps the optic just right
- the nucleus removal is controlled and efficient
- the cortex removal proceeds equally well
- the IOL insertion goes as planned and the IOL power is spot-on
The next day, the patient is smiling from ear to ear, beyond happy. The patient is amazed at the great vision and the correction of his lifetime of myopia. And he only has one question, “Doc, can you do the other eye tomorrow?” This is why I love ophthalmology and in particular, cataract surgery.
Click below to watch the unedited video of this ideal cataract surgery:
