A surgical system for treating an ocular condition comprising: a hand piece; an irrigation conduit in fluid communication with the hand piece and configured to carry fluid toward a surgical site; an aspiration conduit in fluid communication with the hand piece and configured to carry fluid away from the surgical site; a pump interfacing with the aspiration conduit, the pump configured to create a vacuum pressure in the aspiration conduit to draw fluid through the aspiration conduit; a vacuum relief valve in fluid communication with the aspiration conduit and configured to relieve the vacuum pressure in the aspiration conduit; and a first pressure sensor disposed and configured to detect a pressure associated with the surgical site; and a second pressure sensor located along the aspiration conduit, the aspiration pressure sensor configured to monitor an aspiration pressure within the aspiration conduit; a controller having a first pressure threshold and a second pressure threshold stored therein and being in communication with the vacuum relief valve, the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, the controller being configured to control the vacuum relief valve to only partially vent the vacuum pressure in the aspiration conduit so that the vacuum pressure in the aspiration conduit decreases towards atmospheric pressure without reaching atmospheric pressure when the pressure detected by the first pressure sensor is less than the first pressure threshold, and the controller being configured to control the vacuum relief valve to close the vacuum relief valve when the pressure detected by the second pressure sensor is greater than the second pressure threshold, characterised in that an amount that the vacuum relief valve is partially opened is correlated to a difference between the first pressure threshold and the pressure detected by the second pressure sensor. a hand piece; an irrigation conduit in fluid communication with the hand piece and configured to carry fluid toward a surgical site; an aspiration conduit in fluid communication with the hand piece and configured to carry fluid away from the surgical site; a pump interfacing with the aspiration conduit, the pump configured to create a vacuum pressure in the aspiration conduit to draw fluid through the aspiration conduit; a vacuum relief valve in fluid communication with the aspiration conduit and configured to relieve the vacuum pressure in the aspiration conduit; and a first pressure sensor disposed and configured to detect a pressure associated with the surgical site; and a second pressure sensor located along the aspiration conduit, the aspiration pressure sensor configured to monitor an aspiration pressure within the aspiration conduit; a controller having a first pressure threshold and a second pressure threshold stored therein and being in communication with the vacuum relief valve, the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, the controller being configured to control the vacuum relief valve to only partially vent the vacuum pressure in the aspiration conduit so that the vacuum pressure in the aspiration conduit decreases towards atmospheric pressure without reaching atmospheric pressure when the pressure detected by the first pressure sensor is less than the first pressure threshold, and the controller being configured to control the vacuum relief valve to close the vacuum relief valve when the pressure detected by the second pressure sensor is greater than the second pressure threshold, characterised in that an amount that the vacuum relief valve is partially opened is correlated to a difference between the first pressure threshold and the pressure detected by the second pressure sensor.