Abstract

RODRIGUEZ SUAREZ, Belkys et al. Alterations of the corneal endothelium after prechop phacoemulsification versus tunnelized scleracorneal extraction of the crystalline. Rev Cubana Oftalmol [online]. 2012, vol.25, n.2, pp. 233-242. ISSN 0864-2176.

Objective: to evaluate the endothelial changes occurred and the visual results achieved in the eyes of patients diagnosed with senile cataract, who were operated on either by the prechop phacoemulsification technique or by the extracapsular extraction of the crystalline through the scleracorneal tunnel. Methods: a prospective and descriptive study of 100 patients (eyes) seen at “Ramón Pando Ferrer" Cuban Institute of Ophthalmology from September to December 2010 was conducted. One half was operated on by phacoemulsification whereas the other underwent scleracorneal tunnelized extraction. The analyzed variables were: best uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, endothelial cellular count, hexagonality, variability coefficient, mean induced astigmatism and effective phaco time. Results: the endothelial cellular loss for the phacoemulsification group was 9.8 % and for the scleralcorneal tunnel group was 6.8 %. Postoperative average hexagonality was better in the phacoemulsification group (53 %). The preoperative average variability coefficient of 0.32 decreased to 0.28 in the phacoemulsification group. Postoperative astigmatism in the phacoemulsification group was 1.35 diopters and the effective phaco time was less than 2 minutes. Preoperative best average uncorrected visual acuity in both groups was 0.29, rising to 0.56 for the scleracorneal tunnel extraction group and to 0.8 in the phacoemulsification patients. Conclusions: the prechop phacoemulsification is a good option for cataract surgery. Endothelial alterations are similar to those of the tunnelized extraction, but the former has the advantage of improved visual acuity without glasses, because of minor induced astigmatism.

Keywords : cataract; scleracorneal tunnel; prechop; phacoemulsification; endothelial cellular loss; astigmatism.

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