The effect of phacoemulsification surgery on early stage retrobulbar blood flow in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome

Abstract

Purpose Evaluation of the effect of phacoemulsification surgery on retrobulbar blood flow in cataract patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES). Methods The 104 eyes of 52 cataract patients with bilateral PES were included in the study. The preoperative and the postoperative first month peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), resistive index (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) values of the central retinal artery (CRA) and ophthalmic artery (OA) of the eyes that underwent surgery and the other eyes that did not were evaluated with color Doppler ultrasonography. While the preoperative and postoperative 1st month values of the operated eye were compared, postoperative 1st month values of the operated eye were compared with the other eye that did not undergo surgery. Results PSV and EDV values of the CRA and OA were found to be statistically significantly lower in the postoperative period compared to the preoperative period in the operated eye (p = 0.05, p = 0.017, p < 0.001, p = 0.003, respectively). When the operated and non-operated eyes were compared, the CRA PSV value was statistically significantly lower in the operated eye while no statistically significant change was observed between the groups in terms of the CRA EDV and OA PSV and EDV values (p = 0.043, p = 0.153, p = 0.091, p = 0.264, respectively). No difference was present between the groups in terms of RI and PI values of the CRA and OA (p > 0.05). Conclusion Phacoemulsification surgery causes a decrease in retrobulbar blood flow in the early postoperative period in cataract patients with PES.