A comparative study on the phaco time and corneal endothelial count in phacoemulsification using the stop & chop and divide & conquer techniques in Indian eyes

Cataract, a leading cause of curable blindness requires surgical management. Endothelium which is crucial for corneal transparency gets injured during intraocular surgeries like phacoemulsification. Various studies have compared the impact of different techniques of phacoemulsification on endothelium. But few studies conclude that Phaco time & endothelial loss is lesser in Stop & Chop than Divide & Conquer technique. An Interventional study involving 30 eyes in Group A (Stop & Chop) and 30 in Group B (Divide & Conquer) with Nuclear sclerosis grade II and III, excluding any pre-existing corneal diseases and Glaucoma was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital. All pre-operative parameters were similar in both groups. Post-operative values of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intra ocular pressure (IOP), endothelial cell count, central corneal thickness (CCT), Absolute Phaco time were recorded. Data entered in Excel sheets and analysed with SPSS. Paired, Unpaired t tests were used. P value <0.05 was statistically significant. Mean Absolute Phaco time for Group A was shorter (25.10±10.54 s) than that for Group B (44.20± 6.94 s) with statistical significance (p<0.05). Mean cell loss & changes in endothelium were higher in Group B than Group A (p<0.05). Absolute Phaco time was shorter in Stop & Chop than Divide & conquer as well as the corneal endothelial damage and changes were lesser in Group A. Hence Stop & Chop technique of phacoemulsification is recommended for less corneal morbidity.