Corneal Endothelial Cell Change with Different Phacoemulsification Time in Diabetic Patients

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the difference in corneal endothelial cell loss between diabetic and non-diabetic patients who were divided by the degree of phacoemulsification time after phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation. METHODS: Forty eyes of 30 patients with diabetes and 47 eyes of 36 patients without diabetes were divided by phacoemulsification time into 3 groups less than 40 seconds, from 40 to 80 seconds and over 80 seconds. The corneal endothelial cell density was compared before and 1, 4 and 16 weeks after phacoemulsification by one-way ANOVA. Bivariate correlation analysis was used to identify the correlation between phacoemulsification time and the endothelial density before and 1, 4 and 16 weeks after phcoemulsification. RESULTS: The endothelial cell densities in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with different phacoemulsification time were not significantly different when compared before and 1, 4 and 16 weeks after phacoemulsification (P>0.05). Phacoemulsificaiton time and endothelial cell loss at 1, 4 and 16 weeks also showed no significant correlation. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes and differences in phacoemulsification time had no significant influence on corneal endothelial cell loss. This result suggests uncomplicated phacoemulsificaion is a safe method for cataract extraction in patients with or without diabetes.