Purpose: To find out changes of corneal endothelium morphology and corneal thickness after secondary intraocular lens implantation of traumatic aphakia.
Methods: Twenty-one patients with traumatic aphakia were included in this study. According to the ocular presentation only two surgical methods were performed: secondary PMMA lens implantation through superior corneoscleral incision and transscleral fixation of PMMA intraocular lens with intraocular infusion. Photographs were taken at 5 points area of cornea, including central, superior, inferior, temporal, and nasal points. Endothelial density, area, variation and corneal thickness were measured before and after the operation. The changes of corneal endothelium and thickness after the operation were analysed. Factors that induced the changes were also discussed.
Results: (1) Twenty-one patients were included in this study. Eleven patients underwent the operation of PMMA lens implantation through superior corneoscleral incision, while ten patients underwent the operation of transscleral fixation of PMMA intraocular lens with intraocular infusion. The hexagonally of corneal endothelium decreased and cell variation increased in the superior cornea after the operation, but they both did not change in other places of cornea. The corneal thickness of patients without intraocular infusion and transscleral fixation did not change after the operation. But the corneal thickness of each corneal point of patients without intraocular infusion and transscleral increased equally after the operation.
Conclusions: Corneal swelling occurred in patients undergoing transscleral fixation of PMMA intraocular lens with intraocular infusion. Intraocular infusion will temporally influence the function of corneal endothelium, which induces corneal swelling. Corneal endothelium is damaged mainly by surgical manipulation.