Corneal Effect of Air Bubble After Phacoemulsification

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal Science
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Phacoemulsification is a common cataract surgery technique.
• Corneal edema can be a post-operative complication.
• The use of air bubbles to mitigate corneal effects is under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of an air bubble in the anterior chamber post-phacoemulsification cataract surgery.
• To evaluate the effect of air bubbles on corneal endothelial cells and central corneal thickness.

Main Methods:

• Prospective case-control study involving 71 patients with air bubbles and 63 controls.
• Non-contact specular microscopy used for measurements.
• Evaluated endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV), hexagonality rate (HEX), and central corneal thickness (CCT) preoperatively and at 1-day, 1-week, and 1-month postoperatively.

Main Results:

• No significant preoperative differences between groups.
• Central corneal thickness (CCT) was lower in the air bubble group on postoperative day 1 (p=0.012).
• No significant differences in CCT, visual acuity, anterior chamber reaction, ECD, CV, or HEX at 1 week or 1 month.

Conclusions:

• Air bubbles may offer a temporary reduction in corneal edema on the first postoperative day.
• Air bubbles do not appear to have a detrimental effect on the corneal endothelium.
• No significant protective effect of air bubbles on corneal endothelium was observed in this study.