Barraquer Cataract Surgery Erisiphake Pump
is from about 1920. The erisiphake (a spoon shaped metal suction device) is connected to an electric pump. The erisiphake was applied to the cataract surface and the pump turned on to create suction (about 60 mm. Hg.). Then the entire cataractous lens would be “delivered” in its entirety (hopefully), in a procedure known as intracapsular cataract surgery. This would evolve to using a syringe to create the vacuum on the erisiphake and later, a rubber bulb. Finally cryoextraction came along only to be replaced by extracapsular cataract surgery and then phacoemulsification and most recently laser cataract removal.
