With the amazing results from modern day cataract surgery, many patients are electing to experience the benefits of pseudophakia when they have relatively mild or moderate nuclear sclerosis. These patients have soft cataracts with little nuclear density and we have to approach their surgeries differently. This means we need to chop the nucleus without engaging ultrasonic energy and even without using the holding power of vacuum. We simply trap the cataract between the phaco probe tip and the chopper and then split the nucleus into two halves.
This video shows the soft chop technique which is very useful for patients with minimal nuclear density. The phaco tip is pushed into the sub-incisional nucleus and then the chopper is placed opposite it but still within the confines of the capsulorhexis. The two instruments are brought together and then a crack is propagated until two separate hemi-nuclear pieces are achieved.
Click below to learn from this video of the Soft Chop technique:
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