Outcomes of Temporal Clear Cornea Versus Superior Scleral Tunnel Phacoemulsification Incisions in a University Training Program

Abstract

* BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To eval uate the complication and visual outcomes of residents performing temporal clear cornea (TCC) compared to superior scleral tunnel (SST) phacoemulsification. * PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of complications and visual outcomes for 534 phacoemulsification procedures done by third-year residents over a five-year period (June 1992-July 1 997) at the department of ophthalmology, University of Chicago. All cases were completed using a TCC or SST incision. * RESULTS: There was vitreous loss in 6.0% of 348 eyes with TCC incisions and in 11.8% of 186 eyes with SST incisions (P < 0.02). Posterior capsule breaks occurred in 11.5% of the TCC group versus 17.7% in the SST group (P < 0.0453). Best corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better was achieved in 82.5% of all eyes with TCC incisions and in 75.3% of all eyes with SST incisions (P < 0.05). When 151 patients with previous ophthalmic conditions were excluded, the difference in BCVA between the two groups was not statistically significant. * CONCLUSIONS: Most institutions train residents with the SST technique prior to advancing to TCC. This study demonstrates that with proper teaching, residents can achieve excellent outcomes using TCC incisions, and can therefore be trained in this technique concurrently with SST incisions. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers 2001;32:228-232]

Resident-Performed Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery: Impact of Resident-Level Characteristics

“…According to previous studies, the most common complication experienced by an ophthalmology trainee is capsular tear with or without vitreous loss. 14 , 15 Our results are in accordance with previous findings, in which intraoperative capsular rupture was the most common complication in our study. The rate of vitreous prolapse in our investigation (7.5%) was comparable with that reported in most previous studies, in which the rate of capsular rupture ranged from 2.6% to approximately 10%.…”