Topical anesthesia:: Phacoemulsification compared to Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery

What is it about?

Modern cataract surgery is done either by phacoemulsification or Manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS). Topical anesthesia (TA) has been recently introduced for MSICS, whereas phacoemulsification is usually done under TA. The study compares the patient's comfort, safety and surgeons experience when both the surgeries are done under topical anesthesia . Concluding that both the surgeries can be done under TA with comparable success.

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Why is it important?

Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) is markedly cost effective when compared to phacoemulsification and is not machine dependent.. The results are also comparable in terms of visual recovery. The only disadvantage of MSICS is the use of local anesthesia, delivered by injecting anesthetic solution near the eye, making it painful, needing an eye patch and delayed visual recovery. Doing MSICS under TA makes this comparable to phacoemulsification in every sense.