[Clinical evaluation on the coaxial 1.8 mm microincision cataract surgery]

To study and compare the outcomes of coaxial 1.8 mm microincision phacoemulsification with conventional coaxial 3 mm small-incision cataract surgery.

A randomized prospective study was conducted on 89 patients with age-related cataract: coaxial 1.8 mm microincision cataract surgery (MICS group) was performed in 45 cases (45 eyes), and coaxial 3 mm small-incision cataract surgery (SICS group) was performed in 44 cases (44 eyes). Statistical analysis was taken with the data of 40 cases (40 eyes) in the MICS group and 40 cases (40 eyes) in the SICS group. The average ultrasound power (AVE) and effective phacoemulsification time (EPT) were recorded during the operation. Visual acuity, endothelial cell density and cornea thickness were compared at intervals of 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after surgery. In addition, surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) was analyzed. Statistic analysis was taken by student's t test and chi square test.

There was no significant difference on AVE and EPT (P > 0.05) between these two groups. One day after the surgery, the MICS group showed better uncorrected visual acuity (0.16 ± 0.14) as compared to the SICS group (0.23 ± 0.12). The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences on best corrected visual acuity, endothelial cell density and cornea thickness between these two groups. One week, 1 month and 3 months after the surgery, SIA was (0.62 ± 0.28) D, (0.48 ± 0.28) D, (0.47 ± 0.25) D, (0.40 ± 0.24) D in the MICS group, and (1.27 ± 0.65) D, (1.18 ± 0.59) D, (1.02 ± 0.56) D, (0.79 ± 0.48) D in the SICS group, respectively. The differences between the MIC and SICS groups were statistically significant (P < 0.01). SIA decreased significantly and became stable 1 week after surgery in MICS group, while the similar tendency appeared one month after the surgery in the SICS group.

Coaxial 1.8 mm microincision cataract surgery could significantly reduce SIA and obtain more stable astigmatism status. This suggests that the coaxial MICS phacoemulsification surgery could get earlier visual rehabilitation postoperatively.