M. Pande et Tr. Dabbs, INCIDENCE OF LENS MATTER DISLOCATION DURING PHACOEMULSIFICATION, Journal of cataract and refractive surgery, 22(6), 1996, pp. 737-742
Purpose: To assess the incidence and visual morbidity of lens matter d
islocation during phacoemulsification and the relationship between thi
s complication and surgical experience. Setting: Teaching and district
general hospitals. Methods: A multiple-choice questionnaire was sent
to members of the Northern and Midlands Ophthalmological Societies. Th
ey were asked about the incidence of lens matter dislocation, the visu
al outcome of the cases, and their surgical experience. Results: Forty
-seven of the 177 survey respondents (26.5%) were using phacoemulsific
ation. The incidence of lens matter dislocation was 1.1%; 49.0% of the
surgeons had experienced at least one case. The incidence increased s
ignificantly when surgeons assessed their expertise with phacoemulsifi
cation toward the expert end of the scale. Final visual acuity was wor
se than 6/12 in 35.0% of cases. Conclusions: The incidence of lens mat
ter dislocation with phacoemulsification is significant and related to
an incorrect assessment of expertise by the surgeons. The considerabl
e visual morbidity associated with this complication can be minimized
using the management strategy discussed.