The phaco incision is a critical part of the cataract surgery. A great incision is the mark of an accomplished cataract surgeon:
- The incision will affect the fluidics of the surgery: a good incision will allow the phaco sleeve to fit well and maintain the pressure within the anterior chamber via infusion. A poor incision will cause excessive fluidic leakage and an unstable anterior chamber which results in a higher risk of capsular rupture.
- The incision affects the integrity of the eye and an incision that seals well and heals in the long-term will have less risk of complications. A poorly constructed incision is prone to leakage and increases the risk of endophthalmitis and subsequent vision loss.
- A well-constructed incision is less likely to suffer from iris prolapse. A poorly made incision will allow more iris prolapse and may cause iris bleeding, iris loss, or other iatrogenic issues.
- A great incision will induce a smaller and more predictable degree of astigmatism and can be placed on the steep axis to even lessen the corneal astigmatism. A bad incision will cause more astigmatism and even irregular astigmatism which will diminish the patient’s vision for the rest of his/her life.
And remember that the phaco incision is part of your signature that you leave on the eye. Any ophthalmologist who examines the patient in the future will always see your phaco incision and you want to do a beautiful job that you can be proud of.
Below are four videos which will give you the foundation of creating and sealing your phaco incisions.