BHUBANESWAR: A Bhubaneswar-based ophthalmologist has developed a unique technique that will help surgeons deal with complications of cataract surgery and do away with the requirement of spectacles for such patients post-recovery.
Consultant ophthalmologist of LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) Dr. Umesh Chandra Behera has come up with a modified scleral fixated intraocular lens (SFIOL) technique for surgeons facing capsular complications during cataract extraction. The trans-scleral intraocular lens fixation technique, as claimed by the ophthalmologist, is an effective rescue procedure for eyes with deficient capsular support when surgeons perform surgery.
“Surgeons face difficulties in fixing lenses post-surgery due to lack of sufficient capsular support in the eyes of some patients. In such cases, they wrap up surgery and refer the patient to senior ophthalmologists. Patients unnecessarily suffer and are forced to use spectacles. With the help of the technique, any surgeon can create a capsule-like pocket inside the sclera, fix the lens and self-manage the patient,” said Dr. Behera.
The technique involves two basic steps of haptic externalisation and incarceration in the scleral tissue. The key elements of the technique make the surgery reliable, efficient and well suited for surgeons for small incision cataract surgery, as a sclero-corneal tunnel and use of rigid intraocular lens is a prerequisite for the method.
“Training the resident surgeons with the technique will definitely empower them to manage complications on the surgery table, thereby reducing the burden of further secondary interventions,” Dr. Behera described.
Ophthalmologists attempted the technique while learning cataract extraction at LVPEI. The study was conducted on 43 patients with inadequate capsular support for IOL implantation.