Cataract Surgery With The Phaco Method

What is a phaco operation?

Phaco is the most widely used method of cataract surgery today. The most important feature is that it is made from small incisions. It is commonly thought of as “laser cataract surgery” because it is usually performed under drop anesthesia and no stitches are placed. Cataract treatment is a very important operation that requires microsurgery. The success of the surgery is directly dependent on the experience of the doctor, pre-operative examinations, the sterilization of the operating room where the surgery is performed, the quality of the material used, and sterilization.

How is the phaco operation performed?

Before the surgery, the front shell of the natural lens is peeled off. Then, with the phaco device working with ultrasonic wave power inserted into the eye through a 2.2 mm tunnel, the lens is broken into particles and removed from the eye. After the inside of the lens is completely cleaned, a new lens with the features needed by the eye is placed in the posterior capsule sac, which is left in its place. The incision sites are inflated, antibiotics are given to the eye and the surgery is terminated.

What are the features of the phaco device?

When using the phaco (phacoemulsification) method, patients usually think that they will be treated with a laser device. However, the phaco device, contrary to popular belief, provides the removal of the cataract lens with sound waves, and not with a laser. On the other hand, in laser cataract surgery, the detachment of the anterior lens shell and the destruction of the lens are performed using a femtosecond laser before starting the operation. Afterward, the patient is then sent for phaco.

Prepared by the Dünyagöz Hospital Editorial Board.

*Page content is for informational purposes only. Consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment

Update Date: 12.05.2023