The Change in Palpebral Fissure Height of Bilateral Eyes after Uniateral Cataract Operation

ABSTRACT

To investigate the change in upper eyelid position after cataract operation, We studied 40 eyes of 40 patients prospectively who underwent phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation. Levator function and vertical palpebral lid fissure height were measured preoperatively and at postoperative day 1, 7, 28 and 56 in and the surgical and the fellow eyes. Postoperative mean vertical lid fissure height decreased compared with preoperative mean vertical lid fissure height in both eyes. The postoperative decrease in vertical lid fissure height tended to decrease with times and these trends had statistically significant correlation between both eyes. This suggests that both eyes are affected by factors unassociated with the cataract surgery and it is most apparent in the immediate postoperative period. In conclusion, we recommend not only the surgical eye but the fellow eye should be evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively to understand the eyelid position after cataract operation.