Specular microscopy in cataract and intraocular lens patients. A report of 564 cases
M. C. Kraff, D. R. Sanders and H. L. Lieberman
We studied 564 patients who underwent cataract surgery, using preoperative
and postoperative endothelial cell photographs and corneal thickness
measurements. No statistically significant difference was noted in
endothelial cell loss between patients with intracapsular cataract
extraction (12.6%) and those undergoing posterior chamber
phacoemulsification (15.2%). Both procedures had significantly less cell
loss than with anterior chamber phacoemulsification (27.3%). Intraocular
lens implantation produced a mean endothelial cell loss of 15.8% to 20.9%,
depending on surgical technique and implant type. A Choyce-style lens
resulted in statistically less cell loss than with other implants. Mean
endothelial cell loss was 17.8% with clinically atraumatic and 27.3% with
clinically traumatic implantations. Corneal thickness measurements did not
correlate with endothelial cell loss or trauma observed clinically at the
time of surgery and did not seem helpful in the preoperative evaluation of
cataract cases.
