A four-year prospective study on intraocular pressure in relation to phacoemulsification cataract surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To follow up prospectively the intraocular pressure (IOP) of healthy eyes with senile cataract undergoing phacoemulsification surgery over a duration of 4 years.


METHODS
Thirty-five patients entering first eye cataract surgery had IOP measured by applanation tonometry pre-operatively and on day 1, at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 4 years after surgery at 9 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. in the Department of Ophthalmology, Oulu University Hospital. Thirty-four patients attended the 1-year checkup, and the 2- and 4-year results are available for 31.


RESULTS
The pre-operative IOP was 16.0 (SD 4.3, range 6-25) mmHg in the morning and 16.4 (SD 4.0, range 8-25.5) mmHg in the afternoon. On the first postoperative day, the IOP was 2.1 ± 5.6 mmHg higher than before surgery (p = 0.029). At 1 month, the IOP morning measurement had decreased 2.8 ± 3.6 mmHg, and in the afternoon, the decrease was 3.0 ± 2.7 mmHg from the pre-operative level. At 6 months, the decrease was 3.3 ± 2.7 mmHg in the morning and 3.6 ± 2.7 mmHg in the afternoon, at 1 year, 3.2 ± 3.0 mmHg and 3.5 ± 3.2 mmHg, at 2 years, 3.2 ± 2.4 mmHg and 3.1 ± 2.8 mmHg, and at the 4-year postoperative checkup, 3.6 ± 3.4 mmHg and 3.6 ± 2.7 mmHg, respectively (p = 0.000 for all time-points).


CONCLUSIONS
IOP decreases by about 3 mmHg (16-23% from the pre-operative IOP level) after phacoemulsification and remains at this reduced level with no trend towards an increase during 4 years.
Falck
Aura
A
Department of Ophthalmology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. Aura.Falck@ppshp.fi
Hautala
Nina
N
Turunen
Nina
N
Airaksinen
Pentti Juhani
PJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular