Central corneal thickness assessment after phacoemulsification: Subluxation versus Divide-and-Conquer

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Techniques
• Corneal Physiology

Background:

• Cataract surgery is a common procedure.
• Corneal edema is a potential postoperative complication.
• Evaluating different phacoemulsification techniques is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of subluxation versus divide-and-conquer phacoemulsification on postoperative corneal edema.
• To assess central corneal thickness (CCT) at 1 hour and 4 days after surgery.
• To determine if one technique leads to significantly more corneal swelling.

Main Methods:

• Comparative study involving 110 eyes from 96 patients undergoing cataract surgery.
• Patients were divided into subluxation (50 eyes) and divide-and-conquer (60 eyes) groups.
• Central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured preoperatively, at 1 hour, and 4 days postoperatively.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in CCT increase at 1 hour postoperatively between the subluxation and divide-and-conquer groups (P=0.033).
• Effective ultrasound time (TPE) and final suture rates were similar between the two techniques.
• No correlation was found between effective ultrasound time and corneal edema at either time point.

Conclusions:

• The subluxation phacoemulsification technique does not cause greater corneal edema than the divide-and-conquer technique.
• Corneal thickness returns to baseline by postoperative day 4, regardless of the phacoemulsification method employed.
• Both techniques appear safe regarding immediate postoperative corneal hydration.