Effects of senofilcon A mechanical protector on corneal endothelial cells during phacoemulsification in rabbit eyes: Pilot study

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of a senofilcon A mechanical protector against corneal endothelial cell damage induced by phacoemulsification in rabbit eyes. Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea. Experimental study. The endothelial cell count, intraocular pressure (IOP), and central corneal thickness (CCT) were measured before and 3days after the experiment in 26 rabbit eyes randomized into a test group and control group (6 per group). In study 1, a senofilcon A mechanical protector was inserted into the anterior chamber in the hard-shell group (test group) whereas, an ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) was injected in the cohesive group (control group). Phacoemulsification was performed for a total of 5minutes (10-second intervals). In study 2, the soft-shell technique was used in the control group with 5minutes of continuous phacoemulsification. In 2 eyes, the safety and toxicity of the mechanical protector were evaluated. In study 1, there was a 4% loss of endothelial cells associated with the mechanical protector and an 18% loss after phacoemulsification in eyes injected with an OVD; the difference between them was not statistically significant (P=.394). The IOP and CCT also showed nonsignificant differences in both studies. In study 2, the hard-shell technique induced significantly less endothelial cell damage than the soft-shell group (P=.026). Endothelial cell loss caused by the mechanical protector was negligible. The senofilcon A mechanical protector had a protective effect against corneal endothelial cell damage during phacoemulsification in rabbits.