Corneal endothelial cell loss from suture fixation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens

To evaluate the effect of suture fixation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL) on the corneal endothelium.

Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Central corneal endothelial cell density was measured in 40 eyes that had planned extracapsular cataract extraction (P-ECCE) with PC IOL implantation and in 40 eyes that had PC IOL implantation by suture fixation (17 eyes with cataracts and 23 aphakic eyes). Central corneal endothelial cell counts were taken 1 day preoperatively and 1 and 3 months postoperatively by contact specular microscopy.

One month postoperatively, mean central corneal endothelial cell loss was 10.1% in eyes that had P-ECCE with PC IOL implantation, 10.4% in eyes with cataracts that had PC IOL implantation by suture fixation, and 10.3% in aphakic eyes that had PC IOL implantation by suture fixation. At 3 months, it was 11.2%, 11.6%, and 11.7%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the central corneal endothelial cell loss between the eyes that had PC IOL implantation by suture fixation and those that had P-ECCE with PC IOL implantation.

Posterior chamber IOL implantation by suture fixation is a useful and safe method in patients who are aphakic or whose posterior capsule ruptures during cataract surgery.