AIM: To compare the efficacy of broken nuclear small incision cataract surgery and phacoemulsification cataract surgery in the treatment of hard nuclear cataract.

METHODS: Totally 42 patients with hard nuclear cataract were divided into observation group and control group, the observation group patients chosen broken nuclear small incision cataract surgery, the control group chosen phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Vision correction, corneal astigmatism effect after 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months and postoperative complications of two groups were observed and compared.

RESULTS: After 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months, the difference of the proportion of patients corrected visual acuity 0.5-1.0 had no significant significance(P>0.05). Postoperative 1 day and 1 week, the observation group patients with corneal astigmatism higher than that in the control group, the difference was significant(P<0.05). After 1 month and 3 months, there were no significant difference between the two groups of patients with corneal astigmatism(P>0.05). Sac membrane rupture in the control group was significantly higher than the observation group, the ratio of postoperative corneal edema in the control group were significantly higher than the observation group, the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Broken nuclear small incision cataract surgery has good effect and few complications.