Corneal Effect of Air Bubble After Phacoemulsification.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of air bubble on the cornea at the end of the cataract surgery with phacoemulsification. This prospective and case-control study included 71 patients with air bubble injected into the anterior chamber at the end of the operation and 63 age-sex-matched control patients without air bubble. Endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV), hexagonality rate (HEX), and central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements were taken using non-contact specular microscopy preoperatively and at 1-day, 1-week, and 1-month postoperatively. No significant difference was determined between the groups preoperatively in respect of mean visual acuity, anterior chamber depth, ECD, CV, HEX, and CCT values (p>0.05). The intraoperative average ultrasound power, effective phaco time, and ultrasound time values were similar (p>0.05). The CCT value was lower in the study group than in the control group on post-operative day 1 (p=0.012), but similar at 1 week and 1 month (p=0.102, p=0.330, respectively). No significant difference was determined between the groups in mean visual acuity, anterior chamber reaction, ECD, CV, and HEX values at 1-day, 1-week, and 1-month postoperatively (p>0.05). Air bubble may be used as an alternative method to reduce corneal edema on the 1st post-operative day. According to the results, although air bubble has no detrimental effect, there is also seen to be no protective effect on the corneal endothelium.