Comparison of posterior capsular rupture rates during phacoemulsification using 3D heads-up visualization system and traditional microscopes.

Abstract

To compare the posterior capsular rupture (PCR) rates of cataract surgery using a traditional ophthalmic surgical microscope (OSM) and a three-dimensional (3D) heads-up visualization system (HUVS). Single tertiary referral center. Retrospective study. This study included 10,101 eyes that underwent phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Surgeries were performed using either 3D HUVS (1,964 eyes, performed by two surgeons, HUVS group) or traditional OSM (8,137 eyes, performed by six surgeons, OSM group) from February 2018 to June 2022. Data were collected based on the diagnosis-related group system, and the rate of PCR requiring vitrectomy and the surgical time were evaluated. The PCR rates were not significantly different between the OSM (n = 63; 0.7%) and HUVS (n = 19; 0.9%, p = 0.392) groups. The mean surgical times was significantly longer in the HUVS group (14.7 ± 10.6 min) than in the OSM group (12.9 ± 9.9 min, p < 0.001). In the 3D HUVS group, there were no PCR cases among the initial 100 patients. In both groups, no significant difference was observed in the PCR rates over time. Although the difference was not statistically significant, the PCR rate decreased over time in the HUVS group. Our results indicate that 3D HUVS-based cataract surgery performed by experienced cataract surgeons had a PCR rate similar to that of traditional OSM-based surgery during the 4-year study period. Although the surgical time was slightly longer with 3D HUVS, cataract surgery using 3D HUVS can be performed safely by experienced surgeons.