Comparison of patient experiences and clinical outcomes between an illuminated chopper and a conventional chopper under a surgical microscope

Abstract

Purpose: To compare patient experiences and cooperation and the clinical outcomes illuminated chopper versus conventional chopper during cataract surgery. Setting: Four tertiary institutions in Korea Design: Prospective, randomized, paired-eye, controlled pilot study. Methods: This study enrolled 152 eyes of 76 patients who underwent bilateral cataract surgeries. The surgical method was randomly assigned to each patient's eye (one eye using the illuminated chopper with a light source and the other using the conventional chopper under the microscope light). Patient suffering scores (the degree of strong light perception, glare, inability to fixate, anxiety, discomfort, and fear) from 0 to 10 (10 being the most severe level); cooperation score from 0 to 3 (3 being the best cooperation); operating time; and corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) pre- and postoperatively were compared between the two groups. Results: The mean patient suffering score of all six parameters in the iChopper group was significantly smaller than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The mean patient cooperation score of the iChopper group (2.3 ± 0.8) was significantly greater than that of the control (1.6 ± 0.9; P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the mean operating time and corneal ECD at each visit between the groups, albeit the mean corneal ECD was significantly decreased from baseline to one month after cataract surgery in both groups. Conclusions: Phacoemulsification using the illuminated chopper provides less glare and anxiety and better cooperation during cataract surgery without increasing the operating time and damaging corneal endothelium compared to the conventional chopper.

Comparison between Early Clinical Results of Dual-Linear and Conventional Foot-Pedal Control in Phacoemulsification

“…The field of cataract surgery is one of the most representative areas reflecting cuttingedge technology. State-of-the-art technology is applied to all stages of surgery, including preoperative biometric measurements, intraoperative surgical instruments, intraocular lenses, intraocular lens formulae, the phacoemulsification machine, and postoperative care, including dry eye [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Mechanical and instrumental advancements have shortened the surgical time.…”