Purpose: To assess intra-correlations between lens density based-on Scheimpflug Imaging System, power used during surgery, surgery duration, and endothelial cell loss in eyes with nuclear cataract.
Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Alkhobar, Saudi Arabia.
Design: Prospective cross-sectional observational study.
Methods and material: The objective lens density and endothelial cell density were measured using the Scheimpflug system and specular microscopy, respectively. Intra-operatively, all phacodynamic parameters and duration of the surgery were documented.
Results: This study of 62 patients (71 eyes) with a mean age of 58.56 ± 10.4 years. The mean Scheimpflug-measured lens density was 13.93 ± 3.27. The mean phacodynamic parameters, namely, power, ultrasound time, and elliptical motion were 13.63 ± 6.38, 1.27 ± 1.12, and 50.56 ± 50.06, respectively. There were a positive linear correlations between the Scheimpflug-measured lens density and phacodynamic parameters, power (AVG %), ultrasound time, and elliptical motion (r = 0.501, r = 0.620, and r = 0.641, respectively; all P < .001), amount of endothelial loss (r = 0.445, P < .001), and surgery duration (r = 0.346; P < .01). Phacodynamic parameters were positively correlated with degree of endothelial loss (P < .01). The length of the surgery failed to show any correlation with damage happened to the endothelium (r = 0.210, P > .05).
Conclusion: A positive correlations were observed between Scheimpflug-measured lens density with phacodynamic parameters, surgery duration, and endothelial loss. A strong correlation was observed between the degree of endothelial cell loss and phacodynamic parameters but not with the length of the procedure.
Keywords: Endothelial cell loss; Lens density; Scheimpflug imaging system; Surgery duration.