| Summary: | Introduction. Manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) is used increasingly for cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation. It is thought that the small wound heals faster than a conventional incision, leading to less astigmatism and a better uncorrected visual acuity. This is important as many patients do not wear or cannot afford spectacles after surgery, which means that their uncorrected visual acuity is what they rely on to carry out their every day functions. Often this is less than 6/18 on the Snellens chart, which would fall below the WHO good outcome category for post-operative visual impairment. A post-operative vision of 6/18 or better without spectacles is a goal which appears to be within the reach of small incision techniques for cataract surgery. However, there are concerns that the method used to remove the nucleus in MSICS may be more traumatic to the corneal endothelium than conventional ECCE surgery.
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