Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate results of phacoemulsification in the eyes with Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy.
Methods: :
Study included 124 patients (141 eyes, mean follow-up 3 years), divided into three groups: I - 53 eyes with Fuchs’ dystrophy after uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery, II - 44 eyes with Fuchs’ dystrophy after extracapsular cataract extraction via limbal incision, III - 44 eyes with healthy cornea after uncomplicated phacoemulsification. We evaluated percentage of endothelial cell loss and its correlation with other factors including age, anterior-posterior eye axis length (APA), anterior chamber depth (ACD), nuclear density, ultrasound parameters at the end of the surgery (ultrasound time, ultrasound power, cumulative dissipated energy), pupil size, and surgery duration.
Results: :
During the first year of postoperative period, degree of endothelial cell loss did not significantly differ among groups (p>0.05). However, endothelial cell loss was significantly greater in the group II during the second and the third years after the surgery, as compared to both group I and group III (p<0.05). The endothelial cell loss was in direct proportion to nuclear density, and in inverse proportion to APA, ACD and pupil size; it did not depend on the surgery duration or ultrasound parameters. Endothelial failure was not observed during the follow-up period in any group.
Conclusions: :
Fuchs’ dystrophy should not be contraindication to phacoemulsification surgery regardless the initial (preoperative) endothelial cell density values.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications • cornea: endothelium • degenerations/dystrophies