Mechanism of corneal endothelial cells lesion during phacoemulsification and aspiration.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the proportions of corneal endothelial lesion caused by different factors during phacoemulsification and aspiration. METHODS: Fourteen cats (twenty eight eyes) were divided into four groups. The processed factors were ultrasonic power, lens extraction by phacoemulsification or not, and lens extraction using different levels of ultrasonic power. The density of central corneal endothelial cells was measured before and after operation. RESULTS: There is no statistic difference between pre-operation density and post-operation density for releasing ultrasonic power only without lens extraction group. But for the lens extraction group, there is difference in density of central corneal endothelial cells and the higher level of ultrasonic power, the more the central corneal endothelial cells density decreased through operation. CONCLUSION: The primary factor that causes corneal endothelial lesion during phacoemulsification and aspiration procedure is debris of lens nucleus, and the other factors cause the lesion of corneal endothelium in normal operations just in very small degree.