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Definition
Phacofragmentation is a surgical technique for lens removal and is used in refractive and cataract surgery. This technique means the manual deterioration of the crystalline lens nucleus and the removal of lens pieces through a 4–5 mm wound.
Epidemiology
Cataract surgery is the most common surgery worldwide. Detailed data about the incidence of cataract surgery do not exist, but there are approximately ten million operations per year worldwide. The frequency and the operation technique varied among developed and undeveloped countries. In the USA nearly 80 % of all cataract surgeries are accomplished by phacoemulsification. Phacofragmentation is an operation method that is accomplished in special cases when the nucleus of the crystalline lens is probably very hard and phacoemulsification might be problematic.
History
Extracapsular cataract extraction was performed since the middle of the eighteenth century. In former times the extraction of...
Further Reading
Kansas PG et al (1988) Small incision cataract extraction and implantation surgery using a manual phacofragmentation technique. J Cataract Refract Surg 14:328–330
Omulecki W et al (2005) Phacofragmentation with perfluorocarbon liquid and anterior chamber or scleral fixated intraocular lens implantation for the management of luxated crystalline lenses. J Cataract Refract Surg 31:2147–2152
Vaipayee RB et al (1998) Phacofracture versus Phacoemulsification in eyes with age-related cataract. J Cataract Refract Surg 24:1252–1255
Wiriyaluppa C et al (2002) Prechop manual phacofragmentation: cataract surgery without a phacoemulsification machine. Asian J Ophthalmol 4(4):7–9
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© 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Bödemann, M., Kohnen, T. (2016). Phacofragmentation. In: Schmidt-Erfurth, U., Kohnen, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Ophthalmology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35951-4_472-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35951-4_472-3
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-35951-4
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