NO-STITCH, SMALL-INCISION CATARACT-SURGERY WITH FLEXIBLE INTRAOCULAR-LENS IMPLANTATION

Small incision cataract surgery has several advantages over convention al surgery, including faster postoperative visual rehabilitation. We e valuated 100 consecutive cases of no-stitch, small incision surgery wi th a square sclerocorneal tunnel and a flexible intraocular lens. Perm anent self-sealing of the wound seemed to increase intraoperative safe ty considerably. With the specific incision used, corneal trauma and i rrigation fluid outflow were minimal. Refraction and K-readings stabil ized within the first postoperative week, which is when most eyes atta ined best final visual acuity. No early peak or protracted drift of as tigmatism occurred. Minimally leaking wounds in three eyes were left u nsutured; a transient filtering bleb was observed in two of these eyes after resorption of an intracameral air bubble. Our results support t he theoretical concept and justify the use of no-stitch, small incisio n surgery.