Which is the best method for Cataract Surgery? - Dr. Sirish Nelivigi

Cataract surgery can be done through several methods. The most basic method is called as the ECCE or Extra Capsular Cataract Extraction. In Extra Capsular Cataract Extraction, which is an age old method. The surgery is done using an incision for roughly about 8 mm to 9 mm large. The next advancement in the cataract surgery happened with the introduction of small incision cataract surgeries. In the small incision cataract surgeries, the wound size is shrunk to nearly about anything between 6mm to 6.5 mm. Here the cataract is taken in toto, that’s is the whole of the cataract is bisected into two pieces or the whole cataract is removed at one single shot. In the small incision cataract surgery, there are no sutures which are usually put. However the surgery will have to be done by giving an injection around the eye. The most recent advancement in don’t the cataract surgery is a method called as Phacoemulsification. in Phacoemulsification it is rather the sound energy which is used in contrary to the popular perception of a laser being used here. So a sound energy causes implosions within the cataract. Implosions are opposites of explosions which explode outside. Implosions are explosion which happen within the substance of the cataract. So when you direct a sound beam towards a cataract, there will be small implosion which keep happening within the cataract and this liquefies the cataract and this liquefied cataract is eventually sucked out and in its place an intraocular lens which is folded and is inserted to the eye. The size of the incision required for a Phacoemulsification is anything between 1.2 mm to 2.8 mmm which is extremely small. We do have recent lenses which fit in just with about 1 to 1.2 mm and this kind of surgery we call it as Micro Incision cataract surgery. Of late there has been a new advent in the cataract surgery and this cataract surgery is called as a femto cataract surgery. Femto cataract surgery is basically more or less the same as a Phacoemulsification. Only a couple of steps we do in the regular Phacoemulsificationm, they are done by laser, experts today believe femto cataract surgery has no advantages over the Phacoemulsification and on the contrary it is a disadvantage as the cost of the femto cataract surgery, is abnormally high and it is not a value for money. The best method to do a cataract surgery would be to do a Phacoemulsification by a Micro Incision cataract surgery and a foldable intraocular lens.