The first time I went to Brazil, it was an amazing experience because of the passion. And this applies to Brazilian ophthalmology even more so — these are some of the most passionate and talented cataract surgeons on the planet. The first Brazilian ophthalmologist who taught me was Professor Milton Yogi who is well known as a leader in Brazilian cataract surgery. He continues to teach me with his wisdom as shown in this previously posted video.
We have had many video submissions from our Brazilian colleagues and I have selected four of them for this playlist. Our first surgeon in this playlist is Dr. Neto Rosatelli who is an expert at every type of cataract technique, complication, and challenge. His video is of a routine divide-and-conquer surgery. This technique is preferred by many ophthalmologists around the world and this video shows the pinnacle of that technique. If you are a divide-and-conquer surgeon, then you should strive to achieve this level of skill.
Our next surgeon is Dr. Alex Abdo Martins shows us that you can chop the nucleus in foot pedal position 1. That means zero phaco power and zero vacuum. That is possible because the chopper and the phaco tip are opposite each other and the nucleus is trapped between them. The nice thing about this technique is that you have a longer window of time to chop the nucleus because you are not relying on the vacuum holding power which only lasts a second or two.
Dr. Gustavo Hüning presents a tough case which we have formatted as a Cataract Quiz. The mark of a confident, expert surgeon is to post videos of complications and their resolution. This case encounters a challenge when the IOL is inserted. Watch the video to see how to complete the case.
Efficiency during surgery is important, but speed is not. Remember that if you are doing cataract surgery on my eyes, I do not mind if you spend a few extra minutes to make it perfect! Our patients deserve the same high standards. We can improve our efficiency which is more about being delicate and elegant in the eye, with no wasted movements. This video from Dr. André Berger showcases a very high level of efficiency which has come after performing tens of thousands of cataract surgeries.
