Phacoemulsification in review: Optimization of cataract removal in an in vitro setting.

Phacoemulsification, initially used in the late 1960s, continues to be the standard of care for cataract removal. An animal model was developed so that, in a controlled research setting, all the various machines, handpieces, tips, and settings could be investigated. As a general rule, the higher power, vacuum, and aspiration settings lead to optimally efficient phacoemulsification. In addition, both new phacoemulsification platforms and newly developed devices have been shown to improve efficiency. As a result, we recommend that the integration of these recent developments should be considered in future investigations.