Development of a Surgical Instrument Prototype to Perform a More Precise Capsulorhexis

Performing capsulorhexis is often considered the most difficult part of cataract surgery. Not only is it difficult to perform, but doing it correctly is important for refractive outcomes (Okada, Hersh, Paul, & Straaten, 2013). Poorly done capsulorhexes are associated with problems including posterior capsulor opacification, capsulor fibrosis, and capsulor phimosis (Raviv, The perect capsulorhexis: more critical than ever, 2010). This study investigates whether or not a proposed surgical instrument will produce more precise capsulorhexes as measured by the circularity index. 60 capsulorhexes were performed on cigarette paper laid over clay. Half were done using the continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis method, while half were done using the proposed instrument. The precision of the capsulorhexes was then measured using the circularity index. The proposed instrument led to more precise capsulorhexes which would lead to better refractive outcomes in patients