title: Cataract surgery causes biomechanical alterations to the eye detectable by Corvis ST tonometry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Modern cataract surgery is generally considered to bring about modest and sustained intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction. However, the pathophysiological mechanism for this remains unclear. Moreover, a change in ocular biomechanical properties after surgery can affect the measurement of IOP. The aim of the study is to investigate ocular biomechanics, before and following cataract surgery, using Corvis ST tonometry (CST).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-nine eyes of 59 patients with cataract were analyzed. IOP with Goldmann applanation tonometry (IOP-G), axial length, corneal curvature and CST parameters were measured before cataract surgery and, up to 3 months, following surgery. Since CST parameters are closely related to IOP-G, linear modeling was carried out to investigate whether there was a change in CST measurements following cataract surgery, adjusted for a change in IOP-G.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IOP-G significantly decreased after surgery (mean±standard deviation: 11.8±3.1 mmHg) compared to pre-surgery (15.2±4.3 mmHg, P<0.001). Peak distance (the distance between the two surrounding peaks of the cornea at the highest concavity), maximum deformation amplitude (the movement of the corneal apex from the start of deformation to the highest concavity) and A1/A2 velocity (the corneal velocity during inward or outward movement) significantly increased after cataract surgery (P<0.05) while radius (the central curvature radius at the highest concavity) was significantly smaller following cataract surgery (P<0.05). Linear modeling supported many of these findings, suggesting that peak distance, maximum deformation amplitude and A2 velocity were increased, whereas A2 deformation amplitude and highest concavity time were decreased (after adjustment for IOP change), following cataract surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corneal biomechanical properties, as measured with CST, were observed to change significantly following cataract surgery.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Japan Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000014370.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Saneikai Tsukazaki Hospital, Himeji, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshitake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Saneikai Tsukazaki Hospital, Himeji, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakakura
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Asaoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Saneikai Tsukazaki Hospital, Himeji, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuya
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Saneikai Tsukazaki Hospital, Himeji, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujio
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kiuchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005123:Eye / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular