Investigate the effect of polishing of the lens capsule during cataract surgery on the development of posterior capsule opacification
Cataract, the clouding if the eye's lens, is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, with phacoemulsification and implantation of an intraocular lens being the only therapeutic option. Cataract surgery is nowadays considered a safe and efficient procedure. However, one of the most frequent complications after surgery is posterior capsule opacification (PCO), that results in diminished postoperative visual acuity. PCO occurs due to remaining lens epithelial cells in the capsular bag, that start to migrate and proliferate. PCO can be easily treated by performing a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd-YAG) laser capsulotomy. However, even if laser capsulotomy is considered a simple procedure, possible complications are rise of intraocular pressure, inflammation, cystoid macular edema, or retinal detachment. Furthermore, several patients are no suitable candidates for laser capsulotomy, for example children and patients with high myopia. Therefore, it would be necessery to identify different approaches to prevent generation of PCO. One approach could be "cleaning" of the lens epithelial cells in the capsular bag by polishing of the lens capsule during surgery. Hence, the aim of this study is to examine whether capsular polishing is beneficial to decrease the growth and proliferation of LECs.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
40
Capsular polishing taking place during cataract surgery
No capsular polishing taking place during cataract surgery
Vienna Institute for Research in Ocular Surgery (VIROS)
Vienna, Austria
RECRUITINGComparison between eye with capsular polishing and eye without capsular polishing concerning generation of posterior capsule opacification (PCO) in the same patient
Posterior capsule opacification will be graded using a score from 0 (clear capsule) to 10 (very severe PCO)
Time frame: 6 months
Difference in the number of cells in the anterior chamber between the eye with capsular polishing and the eye without capsular polishing in the same patient
Number of cells in the anterior chamber will be rated using a laser flare meter
Time frame: 6 months
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