Dr. Sohel Khan’s prechopper and prechopping technique

Abstract

The quest of every dedicated phaco surgeon is to develop skills to emulsify all forms of hard nuclei efficiently with minimal damage to the endothelium and reducing the risk of wound burn. Obtaining a pristine cornea the very next day in a hard cataract is a dream far from reality. Prechop means nuclear division without the use of phaco energy. In this article, we describe a prechopping technique using a new sickle-shaped (saber tooth curvature and tip) novel prechopper that has a slender, sleek, and elegant design well suited for nuclear disassembly. The novel prechopper has proved to be a wonder device for hard, soft, white, posterior polar, and exfoliation cataracts. All maneuvers of prechop are performed in the bag away from the endothelium to be easily emulsified, subsequently making phacoemulsification easier, faster, and safer.