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PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Visually significant cataract, left eye.

POSTOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Visually significant cataract, left eye.

ANESTHESIA: Topical/MAC.

PROCEDURE: Phacoemulsification cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation, left eye (Alcon AcrySof, SN60AT, 23.0 D, serial #***).

COMPLICATIONS: None.

INDICATIONS FOR SURGERY: The patient is a 74-year-old woman with complaints of painless progressive loss of vision in her left eye. She was found to have a visually-significant cataract and, after discussion of the risks, benefits and alternatives to surgery, she elected to proceed with cataract extraction and lens implantation in this eye in efforts to improve her vision.

PROCEDURE IN DETAIL: The patient was verified in the preoperative holding area and the informed consent was reviewed and verified to be on the chart. They were transported to the operative suite, accompanied by the anesthesia service, where appropriate cardiopulmonary monitoring was established. MAC anesthesia was achieved, which was followed by topical anesthesia using 1% preservative-free tetracaine eye drops. The patient was prepped and draped in the usual fashion for sterile ophthalmic surgery and a lid speculum was placed.

Two stab-incision paracenteses were made in the cornea using the MVR blade, and the anterior chamber was irrigated with 1% preservative-free lidocaine for intracameral anesthesia. The anterior chamber was filled with viscoelastic and a shelved, temporal, clear corneal incision was made using the diamond groove knife and steel keratome. A continuous curvilinear capsulorrhexis was made in the anterior capsule using the bent-needle cystotome. The lens nucleus was hydrodissected and hydrodelineated using balanced saline solution (BSS) on a Chang cannula until it rotated freely.

The phacoemulsification handpiece was introduced into the anterior chamber, and the lens nucleus was sculpted into 2 halves. Each half was further subdivided with chopping and removed with phacoemulsification. The remaining cortical material was removed with the irrigation and aspiration (I&A) handpiece. The capsular bag was inflated with viscoelastic and the intraocular lens was injected into the capsule without difficulty. The remaining viscoelastic was removed with the I&A handpiece, and the anterior chamber was filled to an appropriate intraocular pressure with BSS. The corneal wounds were hydrated and verified to be water-tight. Antibiotic ointment was placed, followed by a patch and shield. The patient was transported to the PACU in good/stable condition. There were no complications. Followup is scheduled for tomorrow morning in the eye clinic.

A single interrupted 10-0 nylon suture was placed through the inferotemporal paracentesis to ensure that it was watertight at the end of the case.

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