Necessity of the Honan intraocular pressure reducer in cataract surgery using topical anesthesia

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the use of the Honan intraocular pressure reducer (HIPR) forclear corneal cataract surgery using topical anesthesia. Setting: University of North Carolina Hospitals Ambulatory Care Clinic outpatientoperating rooms. Methods: Of 51 consecutive candidates for surgery (excluding those with uncontrolled glaucoma), 26 were randomly assigned, to' wear the HIPR (Honan group) for 10 minutes before surgery. The remainder were placed in a control group. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured before (T1) and after (T2) HIPR application and after patient preparation for surgery (T3). Results: Mean IOP was the same in the Honan and control groups at T1 and T3. AtT2, the groups had a significantly different mean IOP ( P = 1.8 × 10 −5). In the Honan group, mean IOP decreased significantly ( P = 2.8 × 10 −7) between T1 and T2, and there was a significant correlation among patients at T1 and T2 ( P < .0005). Between T2 and T3; the Honan group experienced a significant recovery ( P = 3.5 × 10 −9); there was a significant correlation between the decreases from T1 to T2 and the increases from T2 to T3 ( P < .0005). Mean IOP in the control group did not change between T1 and T2 but increased: significantly between T2 and T3 ( P = .004). Conclusion: When using topical anesthesia, the HIPR transiently reduced IOP. However, the IOP-reducing effect resolved by 'the time of surgery; negating any reason to use the HIPR with topical anesthesia for cataract surgery.