Rotational technique for emulsification of soft lens nucleus

Effective and atraumatic removal of a soft lens nucleus requires different surgical techniques compared to phacoemulsification of a dense nucleus. Purpose. This study was conducted to develop a non-ultrasound technique for emulsification of a soft lens nucleus. Material and methods. Fifty-seven patients (57 eyes) underwent surgery. In 23 cases, early or immature cataracts were detected, and in 34 cases, lens removal was performed for refractive purposes in high myopia and complex myopic astigmatism. Phacoemulsifier Centurion Vision System (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., USA) was used for the surgery. Aspiration of soft lens nucleus was done using a rotational technique. The following aspects were evaluated in the course of the surgery: the volume of the required irrigation solution, and the frequency needing to involve ultrasound for complete emulsification of the lens nucleus. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were also assessed. Results. The surgery was uneventful in all cases. There were no violations of the integrity of capsulorhexis edge. The need for short pulses of minimal power ultrasound during the removal of the soft lens using this technique arose only in 11 (19.3%) cases. The effective ultrasound time was less than 1 second. The required volume of irrigation solution was 33.0 (24.0; 43.0) ml, which does not differ significantly from that in ultrasonic phacoemulsification. Conclusions. The use of modern phacoemulsifiers providing a high vacuum level allows successful removal of a soft lens without using ultrasound, which prevents its negative impact on the ocular tissues. The use of adequate surgical techniques, including the optimal direction of rotation of the lens nucleus in the rotational technique, improves the efficiency of soft lens nucleus removal.