The cold eye irrigation BSS solution used during phacoemulsification reduces post-surgery patients discomfort preventing the inflammation.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The aim of this study was to assess whether the intraoperative use of the cold eye irrigation balanced salt solution (BSS) could have a protective effect in preventing the anterior chamber flare and conjunctival hyperemia and, thus, in reducing patients discomfort after phacoemulsification.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

About 214 patients were enrolled and randomly divided into: patients whose eye were irrigated with BSS at ~ 20°C (Group 1) and patients whose eye were irrigated with BSS at 2.7°C (Group 2). Anterior chamber flare, visual analogue score and conjunctival hyperemia were evaluated at 1, 3, 5, and 30 days after surgery.

RESULTS:

In patients of Group 2 the anterior chamber flare, the visual analogue score and the conjunctival hyperemia, used as parameters to evaluated clinical inflammation, at 1 day after surgery were significantly lower than those in Group 1 who received BSS solution at operating room temperature (p < 0.001), while at day 3, 5, and 30 there were not any significant differences.

CONCLUSION:

Our study provided evidence supporting the efficacy of the treatment with cold irrigation solution on reduction of anterior chamber flare, pain and conjunctival hyperemia already at 1 day after phacoemulsification, suggesting that cooling procedure was fully effective at controlling early post-operative inflammation.

• Authors: Alessandro Meduri, Loredana Bergandi, Giovanni William Oliverio, Miguel Rechichi, Giuseppe Acri, Pietro Perroni, Francesca Silvagno, Pasquale Aragona
• Journal: European journal of ophthalmology (Eur J Ophthalmol) Pg. 11206721211018377 (May 20 2021) ISSN: 1724-6016 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34011203 (Publication Type: Journal Article)