English

Abstract

AIMS: Comparative study of manual SICS technique by superior straight incision and oblique (9-12 O’clock) straight incision in terms of surgical duration, surgeon and patient’s comfort, intraoperative and postoperative complications and visual outcome up to 6 weeks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 200 eyes of cataract were randomly subjected to cataract surgery by manual SICS technique using superior and oblique incision approach in 100 eyes each. Further grouping was done as Group A: RSS-Right superior straight incision, Group B: RSUT-Right superior upper temporal: Group C: LSS-Left superior straight, Group D: LSUN-Left superior upper nasal: 50 case each. Surgeon comfort was accessed in 5 steps namely tunnel making, capsulorrhexis, nucleus delivery, cortical wash and IOL implantation in both groups and graded as comfortable, convenient and difficult. Patient comfort was accessed as pain felt at 1st postoperative day, taken as P1, P2 and P3 according to increasing pain intensity. Surgical duration in both approaches was studied and compared. Visual outcome and complications were accessed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Commercial SPSS 17 was used for statistical analysis. Chi square test and independent t test was used for calculating p value. RESULTS: Visual outcome was comparable in both the groups at 2, 4 and 6 weeks (p>0.05).Mean SIA in superior incision was +0.88D and +0.63D in oblique group (p value=0.00).Mean surgical duration in oblique group was 455.88+14.559 seconds and 541.63+31.699 seconds in superior group. Surgeon was comfortable in all 5 steps in both approaches except tunnel making, being difficult in oblique incision. Patient comfort at 1st postoperative day was insignificant between two groups. Postoperative hyphaema was found in 6 % in superior as compared to 14% in oblique incision group. CONCLUSION: Oblique (9-12 O’clock) incision was associated with less surgically induced astigmatism and surgical duration as compared to Superior incisional approach. Difference in visual outcome, Intra and postoperative complications, surgeon and patient comfort was insignificant between two groups.