Hybrid (Soft Tip) Versus Stainless Steel Phaco Tip. A Study Of Surgical Efficacy And Potentially Increased Safety.

Effective removal of the lens nucleus using ultrasound (phako) energy is an essential part of modern cataract surgery. Until recently, phaco tips of different designs, but all made of stainless-steel material, has been used for this purpose. We wanted to compare efficacy of a new soft, hybride tip design with a traditional stainless-steel phaco tip to prove non-inferiority. Primary outcome measure: Phaco energy (CDE). Secondary outcome measures: Patient age and preoperative visual acuity. Surgical complications were also recorded.

Privat surgical clinic in Haugesund, Norway 

This is a retrospective study. Study group A included 50 subjects operated using a stainless steel phaco tip between November 2021 and January 2022. Study group B included 50 subjects operated using a hybride phaco tip between November 2023 and January 2023. Data from all subjects were recorded from their electronical medical records (EMR).

The results in this abstract were extracted from an interim analysis of approximately   40 % of the planned study data. We found no significant differences between Study group A and B regarding age and preoperative visual acuity. Phaco energy utilized (CDE) was 2.78 ± 0,58 in group A and 2,88 ± 0, 59 in group B. This difference did not reach significance. We found no difference in surgical complications between study groups.

Effective and safe removal of the lens nucleus during phaco surgery is one of the most important steps in cataract surgery. A soft phaco tip design might represent a safer surgical procedure potentially reducing surgical complications like posterior capsular break.

To prove such an improved safety profile is almost impossible unless you include very large patient cohorts. In this study we found that a soft, hybride phaco tip showed equal efficacy to stainless steel tips in comparable clinical cohorts.

We strongly believe that a soft phaco tip design may increase safety during nucleus removal, especially among young and coming surgeons without sacrificing efficacy.

We have no financial interest to declare