POTENTIAL OF THE WATERJET IN CATARACT-SURGERY

Though cataract surgery is highly developed today, there are still pro blems such as endothelial cell loss after surgery and the occurrence o f after cataract. To reduce these complications we looked for techniqu es with a high degree of safety and precision. We found the waterjet, an instrument already well established in liver surgery. We tested the possibility of improving the results of cataract surgery using the wa ter jet method. Methods: We performed cataract surgery phacoemulsifika tion and polishing of the capsule - on freshly enucleated porcine bulb s using water jet and by conventional procedures. By scanning electron microscope examination we compared the results. Additionally we emuls ified human lens nuclei obtained by extracapsular cataract extraction using the waterjet. Results: The epithelial cells and lens fragments o n the capsule were considerably reduced after the water jet procedure. Conclusion: The results show the possibility of improvement of catara ct surgery by using the waterjet. Further studies are necessary to ada pt this technique to routine surgery in humans.