Ophthalmology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ophthalmology, including details on eye surgery, myopia, cataracts.

Local corneal thickness changes after small-incision cataract surgery.

Bolz M, Sacu S, Drexler W, Findl O

Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

PURPOSE: To assess whether a temporal limbal-corneal incision approach for phacoemulsification cataract surgery induces a gradient in corneal thickening along the horizontal meridian. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. METHODS: Corneal thickness in 21 eyes of 21 patients was measured preoperatively as well as 1 day, 1 week, and 1 and 3 months after phacoemulsification through a temporal limbal-corneal incision. Measurements were performed using partial coherence interferometry (PCI) with a commercial instrument, the ACMaster (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena). Measurements were taken along the horizontal meridian centrally along the visual axis at 1.5 mm, 3.0 mm, and 4.5 mm eccentricity. RESULTS: Preoperatively, there were slight nasal-temporal differences in corneal thickness at all eccentricities. The mean thickness was 522 microm +/- 34 (SD) at 1.5 mm nasally and 513 +/- 36 microm at 1.5 mm temporally (P<.01). On day 1, there was a significant mean increase in corneal thickness (38 +/- 43 microm) along all locations. The thickening was slightly more pronounced in the periphery than in the center, a difference not reaching statistical significance. At 1 week, corneal thickness returned almost to baseline at all locations except for 3.0 mm temporally, where it was slightly, but not significantly, thicker (mean 8 +/- 14 mum). At 1 month, corneal thickness at the 3.0 mm temporal location returned to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: A nasal-temporal difference in corneal thickness was found preoperatively in all patients. Phacoemulsification through a temporal limbal-corneal incision caused an increase in corneal thickness along the horizontal meridian 1 day after surgery. The prolonged corneal thickening at 3.0 mm eccentricity temporally could be a result of the proximity to the incision site.

Published 2 October 2006 in J Cataract Refract Surg, 32(10): 1667-71.
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