Journal List > J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > v.51(12) > 1008702

Kim, Na, Kwon, Lee, and Kim: Effect of Anterior Chamber Depth on Corneal Endothelial Change After Phacoemulsification

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the effects of preoperative and postoperative parameters, particularly anterior chamber depth, on corneal endothelial cell loss during cataract surgery.

Methods

Eighty-two eyes of 82 patients who underwent cataract surgery by the same surgeon using the same technique were selected for the present study. Various preoperative and postoperative parameters including age, anterior chamber depth, duration and power of phacoemulsification, preoperative endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation, hexagonality, and grade of nucleosclerosis were evaluated. Endothelial cell densities were recorded preoperatively and at two months postoperatively using a noncontact specular microscope.

Results

After two months, the mean central endothelial cell loss in all eyes was 8.77%. Among the pre- and post-operative parameters, patient' age, anterior chamber depth, duration, power, and energy of phacoemulsification and grade of nucleosclerosis showed significant correlation with endothelial cell loss. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis identified age, nucleosclerosis, anterior chamber depth, and phacoemulsification time as independent predictors for endothelial cell loss.

Conclusions

The risk of endothelial cell loss increased with increases in patient' age, nucleosclerosis, and phacoemulsification time. However, eyes with a deep anterior chamber showed a significantly lower risk of endothelial cell loss.

References

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Table 1.
Baseline patient data (N = 82 eyes)
Characteristic Mean ± SD Minimum Maximum
Age (yr) 66 ± 13.4 30 86
Sex (male/female) 34/48
Anterior chamber depth (mm) 2.64 ± 0.44 1.80 3.43
Endothelial cell density (cells/mm2) 2,437.6 ± 554.8 1,423 3,238
Coefficient of variation (%) 32.14 ± 5.95 24 45
Hexagonality (%) 57.0 ± 12.1 32 77
Phaco time (seconds) 43.26 ± 34.4 12 133
Relative phaco intensity (%) 18.41 ± 8.14 7 49.04
Nucleosclerosis (LOCS III*) 3.32 1 5

* LOCS III = Lens Opacities Classification System, version III.

Table 2.
The change of corneal endothelial cell densities (cell/mm2) and endothelial cell loss (%)
Preoperative Postoperative 2 months p-value
Endothelial cell density 2,437 ± 554.8 2,138.5 ± 448.8 0.007
Endothelial cell loss 8.77
Table 3.
Endothelial cell loss correlations with preoperative and postoperative factors
Factors Pearson correlation (r) p value
Age 0.658 0.000
Endothelial cell density (preoperative) 0.183 0.263
Coefficient of variation (preoperative) 0.280 0.057
Hexagonality (preoperative) −0.103 0.609
Anterior chamber depth (preoperative) −0.388 0.036
Nucleosclerosis 0.426 0.006
Phaco time 0.566 0.002
Phaco intensity 0.622 0.045
Phaco energy 0.148 0.026
Table 4.
Stepwise regression model for predicting endothelial cell loss (R = 0.633)
Variables Beta t p value
Age 6.34 3.29 0.003
Nucleosclerosis 4.53 2.84 0.006
Phaco time 2.49 2.23 0.021
Anterior chamber depth −0.288 −1.53 0.046
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