Ultrasonic power reduction during phacoemulsification using adjunctive NeoSoniX technology.

PURPOSE

To compare the phacoemulsification times and powers used in 3 phacoemulsification machine configurations.

SETTING

Wolfe Eye Clinic, Marshalltown, Iowa, USA.

METHODS

A randomized prospective study of 410 consecutive cases was conducted. All cases were performed using the Alcon Legacy 20000 phacoemulsification machine. Configurations were the Standard Legacy 20000 machine (n=165), Advantec upgraded Legacy 20000 (n=112), and Advantec upgraded Legacy 20000 with NeoSoniX (n=133). Preoperative measurements included the patient's age and cataract grade using the nuclear color (NC) scale of the Lens Opacities Classification System III (LOCS III). Intraoperative measurements included machine-measured phacoemulsification time and average percentage of maximum power expenditure. An independent statistician performed analysis of covariance on NC for each of the machine configurations.

RESULTS

The mean age in years and the NC value were similar in each group. There was no significant difference in phacoemulsification time in minutes among the 3 machines: Standard=1.17, Advantec=1.12, NeoSoniX=1.16. The average percentage of maximum power consumption was similar for Standard Legacy 20000 at 38.00% and Advantec Legacy 20000 at 37.97% but significantly less for Advantec Legacy 20000 with NeoSoniX at 27.56% (P<.001). With the NeoSoniX-incorporated machine, compared with Standard and Advantec, a 27.5% reduction in ultrasonic energy power expenditure was observed all grades of nuclear density.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of 15% amplitude NeoSoniX rotational energy reduced total ultrasonic power expenditure by 27.5% for all cataract nuclear densities.