Abstract:  Objective To evaluate the effect of pre-chopping technique with double choppers on phacoemulsification. Design Prospective comparative case seires. Participants 80 patients (80 eyes) with senile cataract from 2013 March to 2013 May in Shenyang He Eye Hospital. Methods 80 cataract patients (80 eyes) with nucleus density at grade II~IV were randomly divided into the pre-chopping group and the control group (stopping and chopping method ) according to random number table. The effective phaco time (EPT), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and cornea edema at 1, 3, 7, 30 days after operation, and operative complications were compared between two groups. Main Outcome Measures EPT, BCVA, cornea edema, and operative complications. Results Compare with the control group (19.32±6.12 s), the EPT of the pre-chopping group (13.56±5.21 s) was lower (P=0.000). BCVA was better in the early stages (3 days) after operation (postoperative 3 days, 1 eye < 0.5, 19 eyes 0.5~0.8, 18 eyes > 0.8 in pre-chopping group, and 9 eyes < 0.5, 21 eyes 0.5~0.8, 12 eyes >0.8 in the control group, P=0.023). Corneal edema was minorer in the early stages (3 days) after operation (postoperative 3 days, score 0, 18 eyes; score 1, 11 eyes; score 2, 8 eyes; score 3, 1 eye in pre-chopping group, and score 0, 12 eyes; score 1, 10 eyes; score 2, 11 eyes; score 3, 9 eyes in the control group, P=0.047). There was no significant difference of BCVA and corneal edema between two groups in 1 month after surgery. Postoperative 1 month, BCVA< 0.5, 0 eyes; 0.5~0.8, 9 eyes; > 0.8, 29 eyes in pre-chopping group, and BCVA< 0.5, 1 eye; 0.5~0.8, 10 eyes; >0.8, 31 eyes in the control group, P=0.879. Postoperative 1 month, score 0, 37 eyes; score 1, 1 eye; score 2, 0 eye; score 3, 0 eye in pre-chopping group, and score 0, 38 eyes; score 1, 4 eyes; score 2, 0 eye; score 3, 0 eye in the control group(P=0.653). There were no obvious complications occurred in pre-chopping group and there was 1 case of posterior capsular rupture in the control group. Conclusion The pre-chopping technique with double choppers technique can effectively reduce the EPT in phacoemulsification, diminish injury to corneal endothelium, and improve the quality of operation. (Ophthalmol CHN, 2014, 23: 86-90)

Key words: cataract/surgery, phacoemulsification, double choppers pre-chopping