title: Corneal endothelial response to polymethylmethacrylate versus hydrogel lenses after phacoemulsification.
abstract: We performed a study to evaluate the corneal endothelial cell response in 26 patients who received a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) intraocular lens and 26 patients who received a soft, nonfolded poly-hydroxy-ethylmethacrylate (poly-HEMA) intraocular lens after posterior chamber phacoemulsification. Specular microscopy and pachymetry were done before surgery and a mean of 8 or more weeks after surgery. The mean percent cell loss was 8.2% in the PMMA group and 10.7% in the poly-HEMA group. There was no significant difference in the pachymetry values before or after surgery between the two groups; however, in the poly-HEMA group the postoperative value was significantly higher than the preoperative value (p = 0.027). The results suggest that the amount of perioperative corneal endothelial cell loss with poly-HEMA lenses is similar to that with PMMA lenses. Further study is needed to fully evaluate the long-term corneal effects of poly-HEMA lenses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Western Ontario, London.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Tingey
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Randall
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002452:Cell Count; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008689:Methacrylates; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D008689:Methacrylates; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; C005044:hydroxyethyl methacrylate