What is Phacoemulsification (PHACO)?
Also offered at our San Jose and Mountain View area ophthalmology office is phacoemulsification, or phaco, a cataract surgery that requires a small incision of only 3.0 millimeters or less. In phaco cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is broken into tiny pieces (emulsified) by a small ultrasonic probe inserted into the eye. The probe then gently suctions the pieces from the eye, leaving a clear membrane where the intraocular lens is inserted. This intraocular lens is necessary to replace the focusing power of the removed natural lens. With insertion of an intraocular lens, there is little need for thick cataract glasses and contact lenses that were used years ago. Small incision cataract surgery, such as phaco, offers a number of benefits. Phaco cataract surgery is brief, sometimes requiring fewer than 20 minutes. Recovery time following phaco cataract surgery is also short and most of our patients notice improvement almost immediately.
