Anterior chamber depth, iridocorneal angle width, and intraocular pressure changes after uneventful phacoemulsification in eyes without glaucoma and with open iridocorneal angles.

PURPOSE

To investigate the influence of uneventful phacoemulsification on anterior chamber depth (ACD), iridocorneal angle (ICA) width, and intraocular pressure (IOP) in nonglaucomatous eyes with open ICA preoperatively.

SETTING

Beyoglu Eye Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

METHODS

Fifty-three eyes of 49 patients were evaluated for 6 months postoperatively. The nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare preoperative and postoperative IOP, ACD, and ICA width. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationships between IOP, ACD, and ICA width and between preoperative patient characteristics.

RESULTS

The mean preoperative IOP of 15.1 mm Hg +/- 2.8 (SD) dropped postoperatively to 13.4 +/- 3.4 mm Hg at 1 day, 13.3 +/- 2.6 mm Hg at 1 week, 13.2 +/- 3.1 mm Hg at 1 month, 13.3 +/- 2.7 mm Hg at 3 months, and 14.1 +/- 2.5 mm Hg at 6 months (P<.05). The mean preoperative ICA grade of 2.97 +/- 0.72 increased to 3.55 +/- 0.48 at 1 week and 3.68 +/- 0.45 at 1 month (P<.05). The mean preoperative ACD of 3.06 +/- 0.49 mm increased to 3.57 +/- 0.47 mm at 4 weeks, 3.69 +/- 0.32 mm at 1 month, and 3.70 +/- 0.36 mm at 3 months (P<.05). The IOP decrease was not correlated with the changes in ICA width or ACD. Multiple regression analysis showed preoperative IOP was the single predictor of the postoperative IOP drop (P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In nonglaucomatous eyes with an open ICA preoperatively, uneventful phacoemulsification reduced IOP, increased ACD, and widened the ICA. The changes were statistically significant over 6 months.