title: Corneal changes after cataract surgery with 5.0 mm sutured and 3.5 mm sutureless clear corneal incisions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study corneal changes after endocapsular phacoemulsification cataract extraction and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with a 3.5 mm clear corneal sutureless incision or a 5.0 mm clear corneal incision with an absorbable suture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Northwest Kansas Eye Clinic, Hays, Kansas, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective study, 200 eyes were randomly distributed into two groups. Group A comprised 100 eyes that had a silicone IOL inserted through a 3.5 mm sutureless clear corneal incision. Group B comprised 100 eyes that had a 5.0 mm poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) IOL inserted through a 5.0 mm clear corneal incision; one half of the closures used a single radial suture (Group B1), and the other half, an X suture (Group B2). Preoperatively, corneal topography and corneal endothelial cell counts were performed. Six to 8 months postoperatively, they were repeated and evaluated. Differential topography was used to determine the difference between the preoperative and postoperative corneas. During the final postoperative visit, IOL centration was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All closures produced only minimal changes in the corneal topographic indices. The postoperative corneas closely resembled the preoperative corneas. Polar K values showed a slight astigmatic shift in all groups. Group B2 was the only one to exhibit a with-the-rule shift. The change in endothelial cell counts was minimal and comparable in all three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The small amount of change in the corneal indices, especially in surface regularity, indicates that all corneas were relatively comparable and stable 6 to 9 months postoperatively regardless of the type of incision and closure method.
authors.affiliation: Northwest Kansas Eye Clinic, Hays 67601, USA.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Holweger
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marefat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002452:Cell Count; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D012826:Silicone Elastomers