Microincisional cataract surgery (MICS) with pulse and burst modes

PURPOSE. To compare the amount of ultrasound (US) energy and balanced solution (BS) required for burst mode and pulse mode during bimanual phacoemulsification surgery. METHODS. One hundred cases were divided into two groups (the pulse mode Group 1 [50 eyes], the burst mode Group 2 [50 eyes]). One surgeon (M.B.) performed phacoemulsification procedures using topical anesthesia with the AMO Sovereign in all patients. The technique was based on the nuclear hardness and surgeon's criteria and performed bimanually. The surgery time, total ultrasound time (UST) and effective US power (USP), and used balanced solution (BS) were retrospectively compared. RESULTS. The mean surgery time, mean UST, and mean used BS volume were not statistically different in both groups (p > 0.05). The mean EPT was statistically highly different in both groups (p > 0.001). There was a slight tendency toward more surgery time in Group 2 than in Group 1, although the difference was not significant (p=0.146). Statistically significant higher results (Group 1: r=0, 889, p < 0.001 and Group 2: r=0, 834, p < 0.001) were seen in Group 1 when both groups were evaluated for the surgery time and used BS volume. When UST and used BS volume were evaluated in Groups 1 and 2, significant relation was seen in both but the correlation is statistically higher in Group 1 (Group 1: r=0, 765, p < 0.001, and Group 2: r=0,544, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS. The very low energy modes with the WhiteStar technology are suitable for bimanual cataract surgery.