Comparative study of coaxial phacoemulsification and microincision cataract surgery. One-year follow-up.

Purpose: To evaluate the amount of ultrasound (US) used, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and corneal endothelial cell loss in bimanual microincision cataract surgery (MICS) and coaxial phacoemulsification.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Universidade Gama Filho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Methods: A prospective randomized study included 30 patients (60 eyes) with bilateral cataract. All patients had coaxial phacoemulsification in 1 eye and MICS in the fellow eye. The US time and the effective US time were measured intraoperatively. The BCVA and central endothelial cell loss were evaluated in both groups over a 1-year follow-up. The results between the 2 groups were compared.

Results: The total US time was lower in the coaxial phacoemulsification group than in the MICS group; the means were 0.50 minutes +/- 0.33 (SD) and 0.82 +/- 0.39 minutes, respectively. The mean US power was similar between groups (mean 10.1% +/- 3.76% and 10.0% +/- 4.0%, respectively). The BCVA was similar between the groups from 24 hours to 1 year. The mean central corneal endothelial cell loss at 3 months was 4.66% +/- 6.10% in the coaxial phacoemulsification group and 4.45% +/- 5.06% in the MICS group and at 1 year, 6.00% +/- 6.72% and 8.82% +/- 7.39%, respectively. The only significant difference in the postoperative results between the 2 groups was central endothelial cell loss at the 1-year follow-up.

Conclusions: The US time was longer in the MICS group than in the in the coaxial phacoemulsification group, but the mean US power was similar between groups. The BCVA was also similar between groups; however, the MICS group had more central endothelial cell loss at the 1-year follow-up.