Weighted Comparison of the Corneal Topographic Data in Intracapsular versus Ciliary Sulcus Intraocular Lens Implantation during Phacoemulsification Surgery

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the preoperative and postoperative changes in corneal topography, intraocular pressure (IOP), and visual acuity in patients who developed posterior capsule rupture during phacoemulsification surgery and simultaneously underwent ciliary sulcus intraocular lens (IOL) implantation and in those with intact capsular integrity who simultaneously underwent intracapsular IOL implantation and to compare these changes within and between the two groups.
METHODS: Among the 855 patients, 92 eyes of 69 patients whose corneal topography, IOP, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were successfully measured were included in the study. Preliminary chamber parameters [horizontal visible iris diameter (HVID), iridocorneal angle, anterior chamber volume (ACV), and anterior chamber depth (ACD)] were measured before and after surgery using a Sirius corneal topography device.
RESULTS: The IOL was implanted in the capsular bag in 58 patients and in the ciliary sulcus between the posterior iris and the capsule in 34 patients. In the sulcus IOL group, both BCVA and IOP measurements statistically significantly increased in the postoperative period compared with the preoperative values (p<0.001). As regards postoperative changes between the intracapsular and sulcus IOL groups, no significant difference was found in the changes in HVID (p=0.584), iridocorneal angle (p=0.282), and ACD (p=0.382), whereas the changes in ACV, IOP, and BCVA were statistically significantly different (p=0.020, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: While the IOP of the sulcus IOL group significantly increased, that of the intracapsular group significantly decreased. Visual acuity increased in both lens implants, but patients with intracapsular lenses had greater improvement in visual acuity; thus, intracapsular IOL implantation was more advantageous than sulcus IOL implantation.