Effect of phacoemulification on corneal thickne

Purpoe To determine the immediate effect on corneal thickne of cataract extraction uing phacoemulification. Deign Propective conecutive nonrandomized human undergoing tandard mall-inciion phacoemulification and intraocular len inertion. Method Corneal thickne wa meaured immediately preoperative and potoperatively in 58 conecutive patient undergoing phacoemulification in the abence of other ocular abnormalitie. Corneal thickne wa determined centrally and in the midperiphery of four quadrant. The lat 17 eye were alo evaluated for the effect of preure from a Honan balloon on corneal thickne. etting Faculty practice in medical chool and univerity hopital. Reult The cornea thinned in all five of the meaured location, with tatitical ignificance being reached only in the four midperipheral quadrant. Preure from the Honan balloon reulted in a negligible increae in corneal thickne preoperatively. Concluion Cornea were found to have thinned tatitically ignificantly immediately after phacoemulification; however, the degree of thinning ha doubtful clinical ignificance and doe not repreent a ignificant dehydration of the cornea during the urgical procedure.