Opthalmologists have reported that manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS), an inexpensive alternative to phacoemulsification, is a far safer and efficacious option for people with brunescent and black cataracts (BBCs)1.
MSICS also achieved better uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) compared with extra capsular cataract extraction (ECCE).
The doctors compared their study of 102 BBC patients who had undergone MSICS with earlier studies of patients treated with phacoemulsification. While the earlier procedure involved the risk of endothelial damage, zonulysis, posterior capsule rupture, and postoperative corneal oedema, in MSICS none of these complications occurred.
In developing countries with many BBC patients, MSICS could provide a safe and effective treatment protocol.
