title: Daily tonometric curves after cataract surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate daily tonometric curves after cataract surgery in patients with cataract only and in patients with cataract and glaucoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  108 patients scheduled for cataract surgery were randomly allocated to two groups: 57 patients with cataract only (normal) and 51 with cataract and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). All patients underwent extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) (manual technique with long wound), phacoemulsification (automated technique with short wound), or nucleus capture (manual technique with short wound). Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured by Goldmann tonometry in all patients every 2 hours for 12 hours before the operation and at 1 and 6 months postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  79 patients completed the 6 month examination. ECCE resulted in greater reductions in IOP than the other procedures (ECCE: 27% and 36% in normal patients and those with POAG, respectively; nucleus capture: 20% and 31%, respectively; phacoemulsification: 19% and 22%, respectively). The fluctuations in IOP before and after surgery were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cataract surgery in normal patients reduces IOP but does not eliminate fluctuations which are directly proportional to the IOP value and result partly from circadian rhythms. This important finding might influence our approach to treatment of patients with glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological and Visual Sciences, Ophthalmology R, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy. sacca@smartino.ge.it
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saccà
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marletta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pascotto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barabino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rolando
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giannetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calabria
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D011184:Postoperative Period; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular