Consensual reactions of human blood-aqueous barrier to implant operations.

Slit-lamp fluorophotometry was used to evaluate the disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier in eyes that underwent posterior chamber lens implantation following phacoemulsification and the consensual reaction of the barrier disruption in the contralateral eyes. Topical indomethacin or placebo was applied to surgically treated eyes to test the effect on the barrier disruption. Fluorophotometry was carried out before operation and 24 hours, one week, and four weeks after operation. In the surgically treated eyes, topical indomethacin effectively inhibited the disruption of the barrier during the first and fourth postoperative weeks; in the contralateral eyes it did not inhibit the reaction. The consensual reaction was observed in higher magnitude and frequency than expected. Its magnitude and frequency were higher during the first postoperative day than during the first or fourth postoperative weeks, but were proportional to the barrier disruption of the surgically treated eyes during the first postoperative day only.