title: Ocular hypertension after cataract surgery: a comparison of three surgical techniques and two viscoelastics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence and course of ocular hypertension after cataract surgery using two different viscoelastics and three different surgical techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six patients who had undergone extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE), 22 who had undergone phacoemulsification (PHACO), and 16 who had undergone manual nucleofragmentation (MNF) were randomized to receive either a low-viscosity viscoelastic (LVV) or a high-viscosity viscoelastic (HVV) intraoperatively. Post-operative evaluation included anamnesis, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, and slit-lamp examination at 3, 6, 24, and 72 hours and 7 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of increased IOP over baseline after cataract surgery was 74.3%. The study of both viscoelastics revealed a trend for higher IOP during the first 24 hours for patients who received HVV (P < .05). Greater differences were observed when comparing surgical techniques. Small-incision techniques showed higher mean postoperative IOPs, and more severe hypertensions (PHACO 5/22 [22.7%] and MNF 2/16 [12.5%] vs ECCE 3/36 [8.3%]) (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ocular hypertension is a frequent postoperative complication. It is slightly more common when using HVV. Small-incision techniques show higher mean postoperative IOPs and more severe hypertensions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Cristóbal Garrigosa Memorial, Hospital de l'Esperança i del Mdr, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jürgens
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matheu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castilla
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000473:pathology; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015994:Incidence; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014783:Viscosity; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D006820:Hyaluronic Acid