Evaluating the safety and operability of asymmetric trapezoid and near-square side-port incision in cataract surgery

Purpose: To compare the accuracy, safety, and consistency of asymmetric trapezoid and near-square side-port incision in cataract surgery. Setting: Aier Eye Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Design: Prospective pilot study. Methods: This study included patients who underwent phacoemulsification between January 2022 and August 2022. They were divided into Group A and Group B using the random number table method. Group A was given a near-square side-port incision and Group B was given an asymmetric trapezoid side-port incision. We contrasted the differences in incision length, width, and shape; surgical time; and postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) between the 2 groups. Results: 220 eyes of 220 patients were included. The mean external width of the incision in Group A was much smaller than that in Group B ( P < .01), and the consistency of the incision diameter in Group A was better than that in Group B. There was no statistically significant difference in incision length between the 2 groups ( P = .75). 1 day after surgery, there was no statistically significant difference in incision morphology between the 2 groups ( P = .72). The operating time for Group A was significantly shorter than that of Group B ( P < .01). There was no obvious incision leakage in both groups after surgery, and the IOP was generally elevated after surgery, but there was no significant statistical difference between the 2 groups ( P = .98). Conclusions: The present study suggests that a near-square side-port results in better consistency of incision width and shorter surgical time.