Looking at the photo above, it would seem incredulous that it could be removed with a phaco probe with zero … More
Tag: phaco chop
1941: excellent resident horizontal chop
This resident surgeon presents case 250 which features an excellent phaco chop technique. This resident has obviously spent much time … More
1926: resident crater chop technique
The challenge in performing traditional phaco chop is that the probe tip has to hold the nucleus with vacuum while … More
1886: phaco chop case with GATT
GATT is gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy and it is a low cost MIGS technique to help lower intra-ocular pressure and it … More
1885: phaco chop with trabeculotomy
Our guest surgeon, Gio Campagna MD, just graduated from ophthalmology residency at UCLA last week and is now starting his … More
1853: understanding the combo chop
This combo chop is a mix of horizontal and vertical chop and it has become my go-to technique for phaco … More
1852: chopped but can’t bring heminucleus up
In this case the nucleus is chopped efficiently, but there is a struggle to bring up the first heminucleus. Why? … More
1838: the easy way to learn phaco chop
There is some resistance among surgeons to learn a new technique because of the learning curve. For surgeons who are … More
1815: My Week: do not prolapse this nucleus
For many cases, I prefer to partially prolapse the nucleus out of the capsular bag so that it is easier … More
1752: resident’s 3rd horizontal chop
Last week in video 1747, we showed you this same resident surgeon’s first case of horizontal chop and it went … More
1747: A resident’s first phaco chop case
The advantage of residency training is that a seasoned attending ophthalmologist is sitting right next to you, giving advice, teaching … More
1719: Crater Chop Technique
This resident cataract surgery case shows the crater chop technique where a central section of the nucleus is bowled out … More
1693: curriculum lesson 13: phaco chop details
Merry Christmas to the young ophthalmologists who are going to make time to learn from this latest lesson in our … More
1679: Curriculum Lesson 12: more phaco chop
Phaco chop is such an important technique that we have another lesson going into more of the specifics. You can … More
1576: three techniques of nucleus division
Our guest surgeon today is a young resident from Brazil who sent in a video showing him performing three different … More
1534: a resident’s first phaco chop
We are in the middle of July and that means that ophthalmology residents in the USA are starting the academic … More
1519: tilt and chop is efficient and safe
This is a complete cataract case, shown start to finish, using the tilt and chop technique. This is like the … More
1462: new graduate performs phaco chop
I am very proud of this young surgeon who is performing phaco chop for this routine cataract case. Let’s face … More
1442: this nucleus is denser than it looks
This is a complete cataract case, shown start to finish, of a patient seen in my private clinic. At the … More
1431: this is why I just need one chop
For routine cataract cases, I can perform just one phaco chop to split the nucleus into two halves and then … More
1378: young surgeon chop technique
The young surgeon featured in this video does an excellent job of performing phaco chop in this routine cataract case. … More
1360: cross chop technique
I enjoyed watching this video where our guest surgeon performs a technique that he calls swift chop. What’s interesting about … More
1320: do I prefer flip or chop?
Many CataractCoach fans have emailed me asking which technique I prefer for routine cases: phaco flip or phaco chop? Some … More
1316: slow motion of combo phaco chop
This video features a combination phaco chop (a combination of vertical chop and horizontal chop techniques) where we play the … More
1311: routine case with moderate density
Don’t be fooled into thinking that there is not much to be learned from watching a routine cataract case. As … More
1271: please steal this phaco technique
We all learn from each other — that’s one of the best things about ophthalmology. My surgical techniques are an … More
1247: Bent Needle Pre-Chopper
Our guest surgeon, Val Apostolov MD, has been featured on CataractCoach many times before. He is an innovative surgeon who … More
1213: chop this dense cataract in the bag
This patient has a 4+ nuclear sclerotic cataract which we would classify as dense. Fortunately, it is not quite at … More
1193: learning vertical chop phaco
Our guest surgeon today shows us a very nice vertical chop technique. This works well if the nucleus has a … More
1187: don’t place the probe in the center
To achieve the best combo chop, you want to have a sufficient distance between the phaco probe and the chopper … More
1175: the last case of residency
This is the final cataract case that was performed during residency and likely represents about 200 to 300 cataract surgeries … More
1164: routine phaco chop complete case
From our Complete Cataract Case series, this is a video of a routine phaco chop case. It is not cherry … More
1128: Why can’t I get the nuclear piece up?
You are ready for action. You embed the phaco probe and achieve high vacuum. You carefully place the chopper into … More
1115: no need to hook the lens equator
The original technique of phaco chop involved placing the chopper under the capsulorhexis edge and then around the lens equator. … More
1110: more chops for a dense nucleus
If the cataract nucleus is more dense, such as 3-4+ NS, performing more chops is beneficial to break up the … More
1109: the mushy nucleus is tough to chop
Sometimes when we try to chop the nucleus, we realize that the cataract material is too mushy and the chopped … More
1108: Moderate Nuclear Density Chop
I am often asked why I just do the one chop in some of my cataract cases. Would it be … More
1095: Where to place the chopper
Let’s admit that phaco chop can be a tough technique to learn. It requires both hands to perform a different … More
1054: complete case: why we chop
You know that I’m a big fan of the phaco chop technique for nucleus disassembly during cataract surgery because it … More
Simplified Pre-Chop Technique
The pre-chop technique refers to mechanically breaking the nucleus into smaller pieces prior to inserting the phaco probe into the … More
The critical step after the chop
There is a critical step after the chop that is absolutely required to facilitate nucleus removal. And this step is … More
Soft Chop technique for soft cataracts
With the amazing results from modern day cataract surgery, many patients are electing to experience the benefits of pseudophakia when … More
complete case: chop nucleus in the bag
One of my favorite types of videos to watch is the Complete Cataract Case. I enjoy seeing a surgery from … More
Secret to Chopping a Soft Cataract
If the cataract has a minimal amount of nuclear sclerosis, it is more challenging to chop it. The nucleus is … More
Complete Case: Propagate the Chop
Another video in our Complete Cataract Case series where we show you an entire surgery from start to finish. This … More
Learning Phaco Chop: you can do it!
Young surgeons need to learn to perform phaco chop — it makes cataract surgery efficient and increases safety. Less ultrasonic … More
Small Capsulorhexis Phaco Chop
The capsulorhexis is an important part of cataract surgery and one reason is that it allows access to the inside … More
Phaco Chop without Vacuum
It is a pleasure to watch an expert surgeon doing cataract surgery and I really enjoyed learning from Dr. Alex … More
Lateral Phaco Chop Technqiue
With traditional phaco chop, we place the chopper in front of the phaco probe tip, but there are other options. … More
Review: 4 quadrant chop-and-conquer
Many ophthalmologists in training start out by learning the four quadrant divide-and-conquer technique, which has a long history of being a … More