Phacoemulsification is a surgical procedure for the treatment of cataracts. Ultrasound waves break up the cloudy lens in the eye and a suction device then removes the lens fragments. This creates space for an artificial lens replacement. Cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed procedures in Germany. However, the operation is not risk-free.
You can find out what other procedures are available and which doctors are specialists here.
Up to 900,000 cataract operations are performed in Germany every year. This makes it one of the most common operations in the country.
Comparison of a healthy eye and an eye with cataracts @ Alessandro Grandini /AdobeStock
There are two main procedures for removing the clouded lens:
Both procedures are considered to be comparably safe and effective.
In medicine, a cataract is a progressive clouding of the lens in the eye. This process can develop slowly, which is why this condition does not require immediate surgery.
As a rule, patients decide for themselves when it is time for a "lens change". They should not wait until their impaired vision becomes a danger to their own health and that of others.
There are repeated reports that a certain diet or medication can help with cataracts. However, according to current knowledge, there is insufficient evidence for this. The only cure for cataracts at present is to replace the clouded lens.
In addition, if you wait too long, the hardening of the lens increases. This in turn can lead to complications in a later operation, which can have a negative impact on the success of the cataract operation.
Phacoemulsification is the most common outpatient surgical method for treating a cataract. It is, so to speak, the classic form of treatment in everyday clinical practice.
The operation is performed under drip anesthesia. Before the operation begins, the patient is given anaesthetic eye drops to calm the eye movements.
The phacoemulsification specialist then advances the phaco needle through the sclera of the eyeball into the interior of the eye. Once in the lens, the needle is activated and emits ultrasound waves.
As the lens is harder in cataracts, the ultrasound creates tears to break up the inside of the lens. The lens fragments are then rinsed away by a suction device .
The thin capsular bag that held the lens in position remains intact during phacoemulsification. It is then used to hold the artificial lens.
Overall, the procedure takes no longer than 20 to 30 minutes. Replacement of the removed lens with an artificial lens marks the end of the treatment.
Phacoemulsification breaks upthe lens nucleus using a cannula excited with ultrasound, a suction flushing device sucks away the debris @ RFBSIP /AdobeStock
As is so often the case, medical progress is also advancing in ophthalmology. The so-called femtosecond laser could possibly compete with phacoemulsification in the future.
Both procedures proved to be equally effective in the treatment of cataracts in a British study from 2019.
The only difference lies in the frequency of capsule rupture during the procedure. This did not occur in any patients with the femtosecond laser, while around 3% of patients suffered such a complication with phacoemulsification.
Cataractlasersurgery with the femtosecond laser @ romaset /AdobeStock
As phacoemulsification is a well-established standard therapy, the complication rate is only around 2%.
Nevertheless, as with any invasive procedure, risks can of course occur.
The possible risks include
The prognosis for phacoemulsification depends mainly on aftercare. Patients have a major influence on the success of the procedure.
Patients should take eye drops regularly as part of their aftercare. These contain anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and wound-healing ingredients.
In addition, you should keep the check-up appointments with the surgeon and the treating ophthalmologist. If the check-ups are initially carried out at shorter intervals, the check-up intervals will become increasingly longer. After around 6 to 8 weeks, experts will fit the new visual aid.
If there are no complications and the patient is in good general health, no further treatment is required. Phacoemulsification is therefore a good way of preserving the vision of people with cataracts.
Cataracts belong to the specialist field of ophthalmology. Specialists in phacoemulsification are ophthalmologists with the additional qualification of eye surgery.
Nowadays, cataract operations are often performed on an outpatient basis in clinics or specialist practices. Phacoemulsification is the surgical method of choice.
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