Alterations in ocular and optic nerve blood flow during intraocular surgery in aspirin pretreated rabbits

The effect of intraocular surgery on ocular and optic nerve blood flow was determined in rabbits either untreated or pretreated with aspirin. Surgery was either extracapsular lens extraction through a 100 degrees corneal incision or a sham-operation in which a 45 degrees corneal incision was performed and the lens left in place. In both cases, the incisions were not sutured and the intraocular pressure remained zero for one hour. A (85Sr) radioactive microsphere technique was used to measure blood flow in the iris, scraped ciliary processes, retina, choroid, and optic nerve. In rabbits not receiving aspirin pretreatment, blood flow was statistically increased in all portions of the eye, except the retina and optic nerve, studied for sham-operated eyes, and in the iris and optic nerve in the lens extraction group. In rabbits pretreated with aspirin, blood flow remained at normal levels. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that prostaglandins released during ocular surgery cause increased ocular tissue blood flow.