Purpose: To study the effect of two incision sizes, 5.2 and 11.0 mm, on the inflammatory response in rabbit eyes after lens extraction with phacoemulsification.
Setting: S:t Erik's Eye Hospital, Stockholm, and Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden.
Methods: Bilateral endocapsular phacoemulsification was performed on 32 rabbits. The wound was enlarged to 5.2 mm, and a poly(methyl methacrylate) intraocular lens (IOL) was implanted in the capsular bag. In each rabbit, one eye was selected at random and the wound in that eye enlarged to 11.0 mm. In both eyes the wound was sutured with a 9-0 polypropylene continuous suture. The number of white blood cells (WBCs) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the aqueous humor were measured at days 1, 3, 7, and 28 postoperatively. Corneal thickness was also measured by pachymetry.
Results: The number of WBCs at day 3 and the PGE2 levels at days 1, 3, and 7 were significantly higher in eyes with 11.0 mm incisions than in eyes with 5.2 mm incisions. One week after surgery, the corneas in the eyes with 11.0 mm incisions were significantly thicker than in those with 5.2 mm incisions.
Conclusion: The results indicate that incision size is an important factor in the inflammatory response following phacoemulsification and IOL implantation in the rabbit eye.