Patient Stories

Phaco Foot Pedal Failure

Explainer: Phacoemulsification and removal of cataracts is controlled by a phaco foot pedal that has three critical functions corresponding with three phaco foot pedal positions: (1) irrigation alone, (2) irrigation and aspiration together, and (3) irrigation, aspiration and ultrasound. Irrigation by itself (position 1) is critical to assuring your eye does not collapse when cataract surgery begins. Irrigation and aspiration together (position 2 – inflow and outflow) maintains the delicate fluid dynamics of intricate structures in the eye after the cataract removal process has begun. Ultrasound delivers power and generates heat as the surgeon chops through the cornea, threads through the iris, macerates the cataract lens, and removes/aspirates the debris generated by the procedure, cataract and all.

Prior to phacoemulsification surgery, two microscopic stents were injected into the angle of my eye to help lower my intraocular pressure (IOP), which had been elevated by moderate pigmentary glaucoma (eye pressure caused by pigment from the iris sloughing off and clogging the angle – an eye structure that normally allows intraocular fluid to pass through freely). It was actually quite interesting to watch the stent placement “from the inside” as two square windows were cut in the eye to allow the stents to be shot into place. I was looking forward to the main event!

In the midst of my cataract surgery the phaco foot pedal lost power. No alarm was sounded by the phacoemulsification machine. The surgeon calmly announced the foot pedal had stopped. A relatively pain-free process soon became excruciatingly painful. It felt like a finger was being jammed into my eye socket. I gripped the sides of the operating table as tightly as I could and tried to suppress the pain. A scramble ensued among operating room attendees as they sought to find the source of the equipment failure.

Unable to secure a means of restoring power to the foot pedal within the operating room, a technician was sought. After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a matter of minutes, a replacement foot pedal was apparently found and brought into the operating room. The procedure resumed to conclusion with implantation of an Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) and I was wheeled out.

Prior to phacoemulsification surgery, two microscopic stents were injected into the angle of my eye to help lower my intraocular pressure (IOP), which had been elevated by moderate pigmentary glaucoma (eye pressure caused by pigment from the iris sloughing off and clogging the angle – an eye structure that normally allows intraocular fluid to pass through freely). It was actually quite interesting to watch the stent placement “from the inside” as two square windows were cut in the eye to allow the stents to be shot into place. I was looking forward to the main event!

Next: Emergency retina surgery 10 days later