Intraoperative complications of planned extracapsular cataract extraction versus manual nucleofragmentation

Purpose: To compare the intraoperative complications of planned extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) with those of manual nucleofragmentation. Setting: Hospital de la Esperanza, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain. Methods: This retrospective study comprised 567 eyes; 444 had planned ECCE and 123, manual nucleofragmentation through a scleral tunnel incision. Results: No significant differences between techniques were found in terms of intraoperative complications (P < .05). Manual nucleofragmentation did not increase the risk of intraoperative complications (P < .05). Conclusions: Although phacoemulsification is the procedure of choice in many cases, manual nucleofragmentation is a safe and valid alternative that achieves the goals of small incision cataract surgery.