Bimanual capsulorhexis using a new hand tool: an experimental study in sheep eye

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to design a cheap and easy-to-use hand tool that allows a better-centered capsulorhexis of consistent shape and size for inexperienced and experienced surgeons in cataract surgery. Forty-five eyes of dead adult sheep from a local slaughterhouse were grouped as; group 1, the continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) group (n: 15); group 2, the cerclage wire group (n: 15); and group 3, the polylactic acid (PLA) hand tool group (n: 15). In group 1, one corneal incision was made. In groups 2 and 3, two incisions were made at 3:00 and 11:00 o"clock directions. Methylene blue was used for capsular staining. After injecting viscoelastic into the anterior chamber and the capsule was punctured, the devices were inserted at 3:00 o"clock. All capulorhexes were performed using the Utrata forceps following the internal contour of the devices. As a result of the study, capsulorhexes were successfully performed in 9 of 15 eyes in group 1; 2 of 15 eyes in group 2; and 12 of 15 eyes in group 3. Statistically, the correlation between the distributions of groups 1 and 2 (χ²=7.033, P=0.008); and for groups 1 and 3 (χ²=6.171, P=0.002) were found to be significant. This study showed that CCC was performed using the newly designed PLA hand tool more successfully than the classical method by the beginning surgeon.

Keywords

• polylactic acid
• capsulorhexis
• continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis
• cataract surgery