Clinical course of phacoemulsification wound burns.
OBJECTIVE
To present 3 cases illustrating the outcomes of phacoemulsification corneal wound burns.


METHODS
A university referral center.


METHODS
This was a retrospective case series.


RESULTS
Three patients developed corneal wound burns during phacoemulsification of cataract. All eyes developed from +7.00 to +15.00 diopters of astigmatism in the axis of the incision. In 2 eyes, the astigmatism decreased over several months. The third had permanent high astigmatism and corneal edema requiring corneal transplantation.


CONCLUSIONS
Corneal wound burns occurring during phacoemulsification can have serious effects on the cornea, including corneal edema and severe astigmatism. In the milder cases, the astigmatism decreases spontaneously over several months.
D000368:Aged; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity