Conjunctival flap in manual sutureless small-incision cataract surgery: a necessity or dogmatic

To compare the surgical outcomes of manual sutureless small-incision extracapsular cataract surgery (MSICS) with versus without a conjunctival flap for the treatment of cataracts. Prospective, randomized comparison of 220 consecutive patients with visually significant cataracts. Tertiary level eye clinic. 220 consecutive patients with cataracts. Patients assigned randomly to receive either SICS with a conjunctival flap or without one. Operative time, surgical complications, surgically induced astigmatism. Both surgical techniques achieved comparable surgical outcomes with comparable complication rates. The operative time was markedly less in group without flap (mean duration of 7.67 ± 1.45 min) than in group with flap (mean duration of 11.46 ± 1.69 min) (p value <0.001). In the group without a flap intraoperative pupillary miosis was significantly greater (p value 0.039) and on postoperative day 1, there were greater patients with a subconjunctival bleed involving greater than one quadrant of the bulbar conjunctiva (p value <0.0001). Also, post operative conjunctival retraction and consequent wound exposure was also significantly higher in this group (p value 0.026). However, the rate of other serious complications like any postop hyphaema, conjunctival bleb formation, iris prolapse, tunnel stability, shallow anterior chamber, post operative uveitis, malpositioned IOL, retinal detachment, cystoid macular edema, endophthalmitis were comparable in both. Both MSICS with and without a conjunctival flap achieved good surgical outcomes with comparable complication rates. But flapless MSICS is significantly faster. However it may be associated with higher intraoperative miosis and greater postoperative wound exposure.