Corneal Endothelial Changes by Specular Microscopy after Uncomplicated Phaco-Emulsification of Hard Senile Cataract Graded by Pentacam

Abstract

Background: Cataract is the most prevalent ophthalmic cause of reversible blindness and it is one of the primary concerns of the public health perspective surgery which is the primary and only treatment method known. Objective: Assessment of corneal endothelial changes by using specular microscopy, after uncomplicated phacoemulsification in moderately hard nuclear 3 senile cataract. Patients and Methods: The present study was performed on 30 eyes of 30 individuals preoperative assessed by pentacam to detect grade 3 nuclear cataract to be selected in our study, then corneal endothelium assessed by specular microscopy to evaluate the corneal endothelium to be reference and to be compared to 1 st and 3 rd month. Results: A highly significant decrease in ECD 1 st month post-operative and a significant decrease in ECD 3 rd month in relation to pre-operative state. Highly significant increase in the coefficient of variation 1 st month postoperative and non-significant increase in the 3 rd month in relation to preoperative state. Highly significant decrease in the percentage of hexagonality 1 st month and 3 rd month post operatively. There is a highly significant reciprocal correlation between age and pre-operative endothelial cell density. 3 rd month post-operative decrease in ECD is significant correlated to male sex. Conclusion: A major finding of our manuscript is that the harder the senile cataract the more time and surgical manipulation was done in spite of the same surgeon and the same operative condition lead to more endothelium lost and the more variation between the cells and decrease in the percentage of hexagonal post-operative.