1. A phacoemulsification procedure, comprising: (a) forming at least one opening in the eye to provide access to the anterior portion of the lens capsule; (b) forming an opening in the anterior region of a lens capsule; (c) inserting a working end of a phacoemulsification instrument through the opening in the anterior portion of the lens capsule; (d) obtaining diagnostic scan data for the lens, the posterior portion of the capsule and the working end of the phacoemulsification instrument; (e) analyzing the diagnostic scan data associated with the working end of the phacoemulsification instrument to obtain a separation distance between the working end of the phacoemulsification instrument and the posterior portion of the capsule; (f) presenting a surgeon with a signal corresponding to the separation distance between the working end of the phacoemulsification instrument and the posterior portion of the capsule; and (g) operating the phacoemulsification instrument while receiving the signal corresponding to the separation distance between the working end of the phacoemulsification instrument and the posterior portion of the capsule, wherein the signal presented to the surgeon is updated based on separation distance changes during the operating.