Posters

Effect of anterior chamber decompression in spherical equivalent after phacoemulsification

Poster Details

First Author: L.Woung TAIWAN

Co Author(s):    S. Chen   G. Tseng           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Marked IOP spikes developed after uneventful phacoemulsification. Various prophylactic treatments have had limited success in reducing the incidence of intraocular hypertension after cataract surgery. These include intracameral carbachol and acetylcholine, topical medication.Anterior chamber decompression usually involves applying pressure to the posterior lip of the paracentesis. This releases aqueous from the anterior chamber. Decompression is routinely used to reduce ocular pressure at the end of cataract surgery and is often used to treat IOP spikes in the early postoperative period. To determine the effect of anterior chamber decompression in spherical equivalent (SE) after phacoemulsification.

Setting:

Retrospective case series study

Methods:

We comprised 13 eye from 12 patients with otherwise healthy eye who an intraocular pressure (IOP) of at least 22 mm Hg at 12 to 18 hours after phacoemulsification. After anterior chamber decompression, the IOP, SE, and cornea curvature was measured at 0 minutes and 1 week.

Results:

The mean IOP 12 to 18 hours postoperatively was 27.59 ± 4.81 mm Hg (SD) (range 22.7 to 40.4 mm Hg). After decompression, the IOP dropped significantly to a mean of 11.52 ± 3.25 mm Hg at 0 minute (P<.001) and 13.89 ± 2.31 mm Hg at 1 week (P<.001). The spherical equivalent 12 to 18 hours postoperatively was -1.54 D ± 1.23 (SD) (range 0.50 to -2.88 D). The Searman correlation coefficient of the degree of IOP change with the degree of SE change was 0.24 (P=0.44) at 0 minute and -0.15 at (P=0.73) 1week; with the degree of induced astigmatism was 0.08 (P=0.80) at 0 minute and -0.59 (P=0.12) at 1week.

Conclusions:

Anterior chamber decompression immediately lowered IOP in eyes without glaucoma or ocular hypertension after phacoemulsification, but the effect on SE and induced astigmatism was transient. And the correlations between the degree of IOP change and the degree of SE change or the degree of induced astigmatism were small. FINANCIAL INTEREST: NONE