title: Endothelial cell loss after small incision cataract surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The corneal endothelium plays an important role in maintaining the dehydrated state and the transparency of the cornea. Some degree of endothelial cell loss invariably occurs in all types of cataract surgery but the amount of endothelial cell loss varies with the surgical technique.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the density of the central corneal endothelial cells before and after small incision cataract surgery (SICS) with posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL) implantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 100 eyes of 100 patients undergoing SICS with PC IOL were included in the study. Endothelial cell density was measured with non-contact specular microscope pre-operatively and post-operatively on Day 1, Day 7 and at one month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean endothelial cell count pre-operatively was 2673 ± 358.85 cells / sq mm while post-operatively at 1 month it was 2249.77 ± 354.04 cells / sq mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is 15.83 % reduction in endothelial cell count after SICS with PC IOL implantation, which is comparable with other modes of cataract surgery like extra-capsular cataract extraction and phacoemulsification.
authors.affiliation: Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. skdthakur@yahoo.com
authors.forename: S Kd
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Thakur
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bhaduri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D002452:Cell Count; D055954:Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome