Abstract
Purpose
To compare magnification and refocusing during phacoemulsification with the NGENUITY® 3-D Visualization System (3-D) versus the conventional microscope (CM) OPMI LUMERA 700.
Setting
This study was performed in the Department of Anterior Segment of the Fundación Hospital Nuestra Señora de la Luz.
Design
Prospective, randomized, cross-sectional, multi-surgeon, and comparative study.
Methods
This study enrolled 100 patients (eyes) scheduled for phacoemulsification to measure the number of times changes in focusing and magnification were needed during cataract surgery.
Results
Our study included 100 patients. From the endpoints evaluated, “zoom-in” showed statistically significant differences for all of the four predefined cataract surgery steps (means: Step 1, 0.38 (CM) vs 0.08 (3-D); Step 2, 0.36 (CM) vs 0.06 (3-D); Step 3, 0.54 (CM) vs 0.22 (3-D); Step 4, 0.56 (CM) vs 0.24 (3-D); all comparisons, p <0.05). In Step 4, there was a statistically significant increased use of “focus-out” for the 3-D system (mean 0.16 (CM) vs 0.58 (3-D); p <0.05). “Focus-in” and “zoom-out” showed no group differences for all steps. The duration of surgery with the 3-D system was longer at each step and overall. The percentage of light intensity did not show a statistically significant difference between both systems, with a mean of 99.45 for CM vs 98.43% for the heads-up system.
Conclusion
The heads-up 3-D system is a safe option that offers excellent magnification for anterior segment visualization. The surgical time is longer, but adjusting settings like light intensity and brightness may facilitate some surgical steps early in the learning curve.
Acknowledgments
A special acknowledgment to Engineer Dorian Rodrigo Gómez Núñez for designing and manufacturing the counter used in this study.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.