Phacoemulsification is a cataract surgery method in which the internal lens of the eye, which has developed a cataract, is emulsified with the tip of an ultrasonic handpiece and aspirated from the eye. Aspirated fluids are replaced with irrigation of balanced salt solution to maintain the volume of the anterior chamber during the procedure. This procedure minimises the incision size and reduces the recovery time and risk of surgery-induced astigmatism compared with older methods.
Facts
Origin YearSourced to the subject's own account Phacoemulsification
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How does phacoemulsification differ from other ways of removing a cataract?
It breaks the cataract up with sound waves and suctions it out through a very small incision.
MedlinePlus lists three ways the lens can be removed, depending on the type of cataract. With phacoemulsification the surgeon uses a tool that produces sound waves to break the cataract into small pieces, which are then suctioned out, through a very small incision. With extracapsular extraction the surgeon removes the cataract in mostly one piece through a larger incision. With laser surgery a machine uses laser energy to make the incisions and soften the cataract, and the rest of the surgery is much like phacoemulsification.
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Treats
Source Phacoemulsification (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
2. Phacoemulsification (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHistory section, opening sentence
Charles Kelman and Anton Banko introduced phacoemulsification in 1967.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phacoemulsification, lead section
Phacoemulsification is a cataract surgery method in which the internal lens of the eye which has developed a cataract is emulsified with the tip of an ultrasonic handpiece and aspirated from the eye.
Treats: Cataracts, Lead
It is the most common procedure for cataract removal in the developed world, with an excellent prognosis in uncomplicated cases.
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