[Corneal endothelium after cataract surgery]

Corneal endothelium was examined in 95 patients with a contact endothelial specular microscope before endothelium was examined in 95 patients before and after extracapsular cataract extraction with IOL implantation. The patients were divided into four groups, depending on the surgical techniques: I--traditional can opener capsulectomy with lens implanted in ciliary sulcus, II--envelope technique, III--envelope technique preceded by laser anterior capsulotomy, IV--phacoemulsification. In the last 3 groups the IOL was placed in the lens capsule. Studies of the endothelium cells density were performed 1 and 3 months after surgery. The mean percent age of cell loss was following: in group I 10.8% after 1 month and 14.6% after 3 months, in group II 12% and 15%, in group III 11% and 14.8%, in group IV 13% and 18% respectively.