[Intraocular pressure rise early after phacoemulsification with posterior chamber lens implantation]

To investigate intraocular pressure (IOP) changes early after phacoemulsification with posterior chamber lens implantation.

The IOP was measured in 49 patients 53 eyes before and 10 - 12, 22 - 24, 46 - 48 hours after the operation.

The IOP increased obviously in all eyes 10 - 12 hours after the operation, and rose more significantly from the baseline to the maximum 10 - 12 hours after surgery in 20 sutured eyes than that in 33 unsutured eyes (t = 4.41 and 3.32, P = 0.0001 and 0.0020, respectively). It was higher than 3 kPa in 16 eyes, 10 (10/20, 50.0%) in the sutured group, 6 (6/33, 18.2%) in the unsutured group, respectively, and the difference was significant between the two groups (chi2=5.9820, P=0.014). The IOP decreased markedly 22 - 24 hours, and returned to the baseline level 46 - 48 hours after the operation.

These results indicate that IOP increases early after phacoemulsification with posterior chamber lens implantation, especially in sutured eyes. Therefore, to apply corresponding management properly in time and obtain better therapeutic effects of the operation, IOP should be measured regularly.