Phaco Tip 123:
To Sculpt A Dense Nucleus

It is no secret that a dense nucleus resists sculpting. Techniques including the use of greater power, a more angulated (45º) port and/or KELMAN^® tip design are helpful. However, most valuable of all is the use of a second instrument to simply hold the nucleus still. The creation of "nucleus inertia" will permit the phaco tip to sculpt the nucleus several times more rapidly.

To accomplish this, place a phaco chopper over the equator opposite the incision. Leave the chopper in-situ, and proceed to sculpt the nucleus. The presence of the chopper will prevent the nucleus from moving away from the phaco tip during each sculpting pass. The improvement in sculpting efficiency will be dramatic.

* Phaco Tip TM of Richard J. Mackool, M.D.

The parameters (instrument settings) and incision size presented here have been established by the surgeon and do not reflect recommendations by Alcon.