The effect of glaucoma filtering surgery on corneal endothelial cell density

Corneal endothelial cell counts were obtained preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively in 46 eyes undergoing glaucoma filtering surgery. Average central endothelial cell loss in eyes without postoperative iridocorneal touch was 1.6%. In eyes with iridocorneal touch (Spaeth's grades 1 and 2), the average cell counts decreased by 7.1% and 9.3%, respectively. The average loss for combined grades 1 and 2 (8.1%) approached statistical significance (P +/- .06). The average loss in two patients with corneolenticular touch (Spaeth's grade 3) was greater than 50%. These findings suggest that early postoperative iridocorneal touch is unlikely to lead to corneal compromise in most eyes, but that corneolenticular touch can result in severe endothelial cell loss.