title: [Influence of corneal pachymetric changes on functional results after cataract surgery].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the early postoperative period following uncomplicated cataract surgery, the correlation of corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and the increase in corneal thickness and anterior chamber depth (ACD) are investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 54 cataract patients with a mean age of 70 ± 8.4 years were included in this prospective study. Surgery was carried out on one eye of each patient according to the study protocol. Refraction, CDVA and ACD were evaluated 1 day and 1 week postoperatively and compared with the pachymetry results measured with the Pentacam.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean postoperative CDVA significantly improved from 0.31 ± 0.24 logMAR to 0.18 ± 0.22 logMAR after one day and up to 0.06 ± 0.13 logMAR one week after surgery (p < 0.05). The mean spherical equivalent was - 0.52 ± 0.69 D after one day and - 0.50 ± 0.82 D one week after surgery and showed only minimal differences compared to the mean target refraction of - 0.39 ± 0.70 D. Postoperative corneal thickness showed a significant increase compared to the preoperative results (p < 0.05) on both visits: the mean difference was 33.26 ± 50.20 µm (- 17 to 315 µm) on the first day and 20.22 ± 23.15 µm (- 10 to 99 µm) one week after surgery. Up to 7 days postoperatively the increase in corneal thickness and CDVA showed only moderate or no correlations (r = 0.465 vs. r = 0.072, respectively). Regarding pachymetry and ACD values, no or only low correlations were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The significant increase in corneal thickness on the first and seventh day shows no to moderate correlation to the CDVA. Nevertheless, a good and early rehabilitation of visual acuity following uncomplicated cataract surgery is possible. Intraocular pressure measurement can lead to false high results due to an increase in corneal thickness.
authors.affiliation: International Vision Correction Research Centre, Universitäts-Augenklinik Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: F N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Auerbach
authors.affiliation: International Vision Correction Research Centre, Universitäts-Augenklinik Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Holzer
authors.affiliation: International Vision Correction Research Centre, Universitäts-Augenklinik Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: G U
authors.initials: GU
authors.lastname: Auffarth
authors.affiliation: International Vision Correction Research Centre, Universitäts-Augenklinik Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khoramnia
authors.affiliation: International Vision Correction Research Centre, Universitäts-Augenklinik Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinische Biometrie und Informatik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saure
authors.affiliation: International Vision Correction Research Centre, Universitäts-Augenklinik Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland. tanja.rabsilber@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Rabsilber
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000867:Anterior Chamber; D063171:Corneal Pachymetry; D004215:Distance Perception; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014792:Visual Acuity
keywords: Anterior chamber depth; Cataract surgery; Corneal thickness; Pentacam; Visual acuity