Radiused phaco tips are less efficient with torsional US

Radiused phacoemulsification tips were less efficient than non-radiused tips when used with torsional ultrasound (US), according to an experimental study conducted at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, and reported in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

The researchers compared radiused and non-radiused tips using three US modalities on porcine lens nuclei that had been soaked in formalin for 2 or 3 hours and divided into 2.0 mm cubes.

Thirty-degree, 0.9-mm beveled radiused tips were used with torsional and transverse US; straight tips were used with micropulsed US.

When the radiused tip was used with torsional US, there was a statistically significant decrease in mean phacoemulsification efficiency compared with the non-radiused tip. For the lenses that were soaked for 2 hours, the time for removal was 2.14 seconds ± 1.94 seconds with the radiused tip and torsional US, compared to 1.18 ± 0.69 seconds for the non-radiused tip (P

An abstract of this study is available to read here.