Understanding delimited calcification of hydrophilic intraocular lenses associated with intraocular air or gas

Session Details

Session Title: Moderated Poster Session: Cataract
Session Date/Time: Friday 15/02/2019 | 14:00-15:00
Paper Time: 14:16
Venue: Poster Area


First Author: P.Gartaganis GREECE
Co Author(s): S. Gartaganis  P. Natsi  S. Alimisi  P. Koutsoukos        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To demonstrate a mechanistic model to explain calcification of hydrophilic intraocular lenses associated with intraocular air or gas.

Setting:

1. Department of Ophthalmology, 251 Hellenic Air Force General Hospital 2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Patras and FORTH-ICEHT, Greece 3. Department of Ophthalmology, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, Greece 4. Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, University of Patras, Greece

Methods:

Pseudophakic eyes with hydrophilic IOLs undergoing surgical procedures with intraocular air or gas injection are in a risk of IOL calcification. Τhe hydrostatic conditions prevailing in the anterior chamber during the completion of the operation may affect the propensity of the intraocular lenses for calcification. Computational air/fluid dynamics tried to explain the physics phenomena when anterior chamber is completely pressurized with air or gas. However, of key importance is the locally developed supersaturation.

Results:

During several surgical procedures of the anterior chamber associated with air/gas injection, the aqueous humor in the pupil area is trapped between air/gas and hydrophilic surface of the IOLs in the form of a thin meniscus. Because of the confinement of the aqueous humor by surfaces with curvature, the concomitant supersaturation with respect to calcium phosphate, is higher than the normal value of the aqueous humor. The locally developed supersaturation on the IOL surface in contact with the aqueous humor film is inversely proportional to the curvature of the liquid film (i.e. low curvature- high supersaturation).

Conclusions:

The primary forces that drive calcification in hydrophilic IOLs are the disjoining pressure and the concomitant increase of the supersaturation with respect to calcium phosphate.

Financial Disclosure:

None