One-day hospitalization for extracapsular cataract surgery without phacoemulsification

A technique is described for an extracapsular cataract extraction that combines the advantage of freedom of activity associated with phacoemulsification without many of the disadvantages of this procedure. The technique retains one of the advantages of a small wound, the use of the irrigating cystotome, with an advantage of a large wound, ease of delivery of a firm nucleus. An intact posterior capsule is maintained. Although it is similar to the one-day intracapsular method that we described, the present procedure preserves the advantages of a well planned extracapsular extraction for the situations in which intracapsular surgery is not desirable. The technique has been used in 25 cases which have been followed longer than nine months, in which there have been no complications nor secondary opacification of the posterior capsule. The desirable and undesirable features of phacoemulsification, classical extracapsular, our extracapsular and intracapsular procedures have been compared. Comparison with the techniques of lens extraction through a pars plana approach is beyond the scope of this paper.