Early Postoperative Effects of Uncomplicated Phacoemulsification Surgery on Corneal Endothelial Cells and Thickness in Patients with Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome

Abstract

\n Purpose: To compare early postoperative effects of uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery on corneal endothelial cells and thickness in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX).Methods: One eye each of 32 patients with PEX and 32 age-matched non-PEX subjects was evaluated preoperatively and on 1st, 7th, and 30th days after uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery in this retrospective case-control study. Nuclear firmness, corneal edema (CE), anterior chamber reaction (ACR) intensity were graded by a slit-lamp microscope. Endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation in cell area (CV), hexagonal cell ratio (HEX), and central corneal thickness (CCT) were measured using a noncontact specular microscope.Results: There was no significant group-difference in age, sex, corneal edema (CE), anterior chamber reaction (ACR), coefficient of variation in cell area (CV), and hexagonal cell ratio (HEX). Mean effective phaco time (EPT) was significantly lower intraoperatively (p<0.001) and logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) values of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were significantly higher on both 1st (p<0.001), 7th (p=0.011), and 30th (p=0.025) days postoperatively in the PEX group than in the non-PEX group. Mean ECD was significantly lower in the PEX group than in the non-PEX group on 7th (p=0.013), and 30th (p=0.037) days postoperatively. The mean CCT significantly differed only on 1st (p<0.001) day postoperatively.Conclusion: Eyes with PEX presented lower corneal ECD and decreased BCVA after uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery. Further, there was no association between CCT and PEX existence preoperatively and in the early postoperative period.