A prospective randomized study on the role of viscoadaptive OVD Healon5 versus combining viscodispersive-viscocohesive OVDs (soft-shell technique) in protecting the corneal endothelium during phacoemulsification of hard cataract

Session Details

Session Title: Cat Surgery Equipment/inst/OVD

Session Date/Time: Tuesday 16/09/2014 | 16:30-18:00

Paper Time: 17:31

Venue: Boulevard B

First Author: : A.El-Sawy Habib -

Co Author(s): :    H. Makled              

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To evaluate the efficacy of the viscoadaptive OVD Healon5 in protecting the corneal endothelium during phacoemulsification of hard cataract as compared to using the dispersive-cohesive soft-shell technique in which the dispersive OVD Viscoat is combined with the cohesive OVD Provisc during surgery.

Setting:

Cairo-Egypt

Methods:

In this prospective randomized study, 30 eyes of 22 patients underwent phacoemulsification using either Healon5 (Group A, 15 eyes) or the dispersive-cohesive soft-shell technique (Group B, 15 eyes) with Viscoat and Provisc. All patients had age-related cataract, grades 3 and 4, with no other ocular pathology. Central corneal thickness (CCT) was examined preoperatively and at 1 and 7 days, as well as 1 month postoperatively. Corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) was examined preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. The CCT and ECD were compared between the two groups.

Results:

There was no statistically significant difference in the mean preoperative and the mean postoperative central corneal thickness between the two groups during any of the follow up visits at 1 day, 7 days and 1 month postoperative. At 1 day postoperative, the mean increase in CCT in Group A was 64 ± 6μm while the mean increase in CCT in group B was 59 ± 8μm (P=0.076). At 7 days postoperative, the mean increase in CCT in Group A was 23 ± 7μm while in Group B it was 20 ± 8μm (P=0.302). After 1 month postoperative, the mean increase in CCT was 2 ± 4 and 3 ± 1 for Groups A and B respectively (P=0.452). Such differences in the mean increase in CCT between both groups were statistically insignificant in any of the follow up visits. Comparing endothelial cell loss after 3 postoperative months in the two groups, Group A had a 6.2 ± 0.4% cell loss while Group B showed 6.4 ± 0.3% cell loss. Such difference between the two groups was statistically insignificant (P=0.072).

Conclusions:

The viscoadaptive agent Healon5 when utilized on its own is as effective as the dispersive cohesive soft-shell technique in protecting corneal endothelial cells during phacoemulsification of hard cataract.

Financial Interest:

NONE