NCT07407049

Comparison of Early Postoperative Visual Acuity Between Intracapsular and Supracapsular Phacoemulsification: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Not yet recruiting NA Last updated 12 February 2026

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Supracapsular Phacoemulsification in Cataract in 128 participants. Not yet recruiting.

Timeline

24 February 2026

Primary endpoint
30 June 2026

31 December 2026

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University
Phase	NA
Status	Not yet recruiting
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	double
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	128
Start date	24 February 2026
Primary completion	30 June 2026
Estimated completion	31 December 2026
Sites	1 location across China

Drugs / interventions tested

• Supracapsular Phacoemulsification
• Intracapsular Phacoemulsification

Conditions studied

• Cataract — all drugs for Cataract →

Sponsor

Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University

Who can join

Adults 50 to 90, any sex, with Cataract. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and phacoemulsification combined with intraocular lens implantation has become the most mainstream surgical approach. With advancements in surgical techniques and equipment, this procedure has evolved from a simple vision-restoring surgery into the era of refractive surgery. Patients now have higher expectations for postoperative visual quality, particularly the recovery of early vision, which directly impacts their satisfaction. Intraoperative surgical details have a direct influence on postoperative visual acuity.

Thanks to intraoperative optical coherence tomography (iOCT) technology, surgeons have gradually recognized that factors such as surgical incisions and intraoperative anterior chamber collapse can affect the survival of corneal endothelial cells after surgery, which is directly related to early postoperative vision and patient satisfaction. Swept-source intraoperative OCT (SS-iOCT) has further improved imaging range and clarity, helping us discover that the depth of intraoperative ultrasound energy use (such as cumulative dissipated energy) correlates with postoperative corneal endothelial cell loss. This suggests that compared to performing phacoemulsification at the capsular opening plane or in the anterior chamber, intracapsular phacoemulsification may reduce postoperative corneal endothelial cell loss, potentially leading to better early postoperative vision, which is crucial for patient satisfaction. However, evidence is still lacking.

Therefore, this study aims to compare the effects of intracapsular versus extracapsular phacoemulsification on early postoperative vision, as well as long-term visual acuity, corneal endothelial cells, corneal changes, and the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial.