Standing phacoemulsification: a prospective audit of 20 consecutive cases

To audit the surgical and postoperative complications and the visual outcomes of standing phacoemulsification and compare these with the results of conventional seated phacoemulsification.

District general hospital, Sidcup, England.

Prospective comparative case series.

This prospective audit comprised consecutive patients having standing phacoemulsification; a control group was drawn from all conventional phacoemulsification procedures on the same operating lists. One eye per patient was included. Demographic and surgical data, complications, and preoperative and postoperative visual acuity and intraocular pressure were recorded. Paired and unpaired t tests were used to compare mean values, and the chi-square test with Yates correction or the Fisher exact test was used to compare frequencies.

Twenty patients requiring standing phacoemulsification and 89 control patients were enrolled over a 32-month period. The 2 groups were similar in characteristics except the standing group was younger (68.2 years versus 78.0 years) (P<.005) and had a longer axial length (23.8 mm versus 23.1 mm) (P<.05). No patient in the standing group and 6% of patients in the control group had operative complications, although the difference between groups was not statistically significant. The rates of postoperative complications were comparable. Pinhole-corrected distance visual acuity was similar (6/12 or better: 90% in standing group and 94% in control group; 6/6 or better: 55% and 44%, respectively). Best-case analyses were similar between groups (6/12 or better, 100% versus 98%; 6/6 or better, 58% versus 51%).

Standing phacoemulsification was as safe as conventional seated surgery when performed by the same experienced surgeon. Visual results were excellent.