I saw a patient recently who had femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery a month prior by an unknown surgeon. The … More
Category: incisions
Converting from Phaco to Manual ECCE Surgery
While it is rare, there are times when it is important to convert from a phaco approach to a manual … More
Left-Handed versus Right-Handed with Phaco Incisions
It can be helpful to place our phaco incisions on the steep axis of cornea astigmatism in order to provide … More
Bleeding in the Anterior Chamber during surgery
It is unusual to encounter bleeding in the anterior chamber during cataract surgery, but rarely it does happen. The typical … More
The incision and capsulorhexis are your signature
I like to think of the phaco incision and the capsulorhexis as my “signature” on every cataract surgery that I … More
Never make your phaco incision like this!
In this anonymous video we have a phaco incision that is very poorly made. The placement is too far from … More
Cataract Surgery in a younger patient with prior PPV
As we demonstrated recently, cataract surgery in a younger patient (under age 50) can be different than in the typical … More
If your incision has bad construction, try again
As you are making your phaco incision, judge the architecture and if it is not good, then stop and do … More
Suture Complications after Cataract Surgery
Depending on the size and architecture of our incisions for cataract surgery, sutures may be required to ensure adequate closure … More
Exquisitely sharp blades are needed for eye surgery
The eye is like an under-inflated balloon: the low pressure inside allows it to absorb most jabs without being punctured. … More
Proper Form for using a Keratome Safely & Precisely
you must learn proper form for keratome use in cataract surgery
Good versus Bad Corneal Phaco Incisions with OCT
The phaco incision is critical to the success of the cataract surgery. It gives us controlled access to the cataract, … More
OCT analysis of a corneal phaco incision
For teaching my resident surgeons who are completing their years of ophthalmology training at our UCLA hospitals, we have recently … More
Descemet Detachment at the Phaco Incision
When we construct our corneal phaco incisions, we must be careful to give them the proper architecture and form. We … More
An easy way to help seal the phaco incision
If your phaco incision is properly constructed, it will typically seal quite well without the use of sutures. We can … More
How far into the eye do you insert the keratome?
When making your phaco incision, it is important to have the appropriate tunnel length as well as incision width. We … More
Match the Phaco Incision to the Limbal Relaxing Incision
We know that the phaco incision will cause some degree of corneal flattening and this has the ability to alter … More
Making the Ideal Single-Plane Phaco Incision
Many of the more advanced cataract surgeons prefer a single-plane phaco incision because its consistent architecture makes for great sealing. … More
Complete Toric IOL Case: from Marking to Alignment
Toric IOLs allow us to surgically treat corneal astigmatism at the time of cataract surgery thereby providing our patients with … More
Shifting the Phaco Incision to treat Astigmatism
Our phaco incisions always have some degree of astigmatic effect by causing relaxation of the corneal curvature at that axis. … More
Avoiding Iris Prolapse when Sealing the Incision
When doing cataract surgery in patients with floppy iris syndrome, the iris has a tendency to prolapse via the phaco … More
Hydration & Sealing of Corneal Phaco Incisions
A properly constructed phaco incision will allow good access to the anterior chamber for cataract surgery and then will seal … More
Dealing with Conjunctival Chemosis
We have covered the topic of the rules for an ideal phaco incision and one of them is to barely … More
Technique for using Diamond Keratomes
Diamond keratomes are my favorite instrument for creating the main phaco incisions because they are exquisitely sharp and they make … More
Cataract Surgery after 20-cut Radial Keratotomy
We have covered the topic of cataract surgery in eyes with prior radial keratotomy (RK) but this case is unusual … More
Temporal vs Superior Phaco Incisions
[Click link below for full video] Some surgeons prefer to make a superior phaco incision while others prefer a temporal … More
Slow Motion Analysis of Phaco with EDOF IOL
Among our most popular features is the slow motion analysis of cataract surgery: when we slow down the video, we … More
Why did we get a Phaco Wound Burn?
The cornea is a very delicate tissue: it’s thin, clear, avascular, and susceptible to damage, particularly from the heat that … More
Femto Laser Incisions: Good or Bad?
The femtosecond laser is a powerful tool for ophthalmic surgery. While its use in creating corneal refractive surgery is widely … More
What is the secret to a perfect capsulorhexis?
When I examine an eye that had previous cataract surgery years ago, I see two things: the incision and the … More
Slow Motion Analysis of Cataract Surgery
There is a lot to be learned from slow-motion analysis and this applies to cataract surgery as well. Think of … More
3 Rules for Maneuvering Instruments in the Eye
Intra-ocular procedures pose the surgical challenge of working within a very small space with limited room in which to maneuver … More
3 Rules for making Phaco Incisions
A well-constructed corneal/limbal phaco incision will improve your cataract surgery technique and provide better results for your patient. (scroll down … More
Older Surgical Techniques Still Matter
Yes, I love phaco too, but we should all learn to do SICS as well. (Classic ECCE teaching video below) This … More
On-Axis Paired Incisions for Astigmatism
Don’t have a toric IOL? Try this technique to help address astigmatism at the time of cataract surgery.