Purpose: To ascertain the rate and related factors of phacoemulsification wound burns.
Design: Survey.
Methods: We conducted a survey of 523 ophthalmologists in Utah, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, and Oregon.
Results: One hundred six doctors (20.3%) responded and provided data on 76,581 procedures and 75 wound burns (0.98/1000 procedures). Twenty-one wounds (28%) occurred during early sculpting, and 53 wounds (71%) occurred during fragment removal. Wound burns were found to be associated with surgical approach (P = .003), phacoemulsification unit (P = .007), and unit settings (P < .001).
Conclusion: Wound burns continue to be a serious complication; however, advances in technology and surgical technique help.