Comparison between Ringer's lactate and balanced salt solution on postoperative outcomes after phacoemulsfication: a...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Innovation
• Biomaterials in Medicine

Background:

• Phacoemulsification is a common cataract surgery technique.
• Intraocular irrigation solutions play a critical role in maintaining ocular health during surgery.
• Balanced salt solution (BSS) and Ringer's lactate (RL) are widely used, but their comparative effects require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of balanced salt solution (BSS) versus Ringer's lactate (RL) in phacoemulsification.
• To evaluate the impact of BSS and RL on corneal thickness, endothelial cell morphology, and anterior chamber inflammation post-surgery.

Main Methods:

• A prospective randomized study involving 90 patients undergoing phacoemulsification for age-related cataract.
• Patients were assigned to receive either BSS (Group 1) or RL (Group 2) irrigation.
• Key metrics included central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber flare and cells, endothelial cell loss, and coefficient of variation (CV).

Main Results:

• On postoperative Day 1, BSS group showed significantly less increase in CCT compared to RL (58µm vs 97µm, P=0.01).
• Higher grades of anterior chamber flare and cells were observed in the RL group on Day 1 (P<0.05).
• No significant differences in CCT, endothelial cell loss, or CV were noted at one and three months postoperatively.

Conclusions:

• Balanced salt solution (BSS) provides a significant advantage over Ringer's lactate (RL) in minimizing corneal thickness increase and postoperative inflammation on the first day after phacoemulsification.
• These findings suggest BSS may be a preferred intraocular irrigant for cataract surgery to reduce early postoperative complications.