Purpose: To assess the risk factors for endothelial cell loss after phacoemulsification with implantation of intraocular lens according to anterior chamber depth (ACD).
Methods: This prospective study included 94 eyes of 94 patients undergoing phacoemulsification cataract surgery. To assess the risk factors for corneal endothelial cell loss, we examined seven variables at 1 day, 1 week, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks postoperatively in each ACD-stratified group.
Results: Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the only variable influencing the percentage decrease in corneal endothelial cell density throughout the postoperative follow-up period in the long ACD group (ACD III) was nucleosclerosis. The variables influencing the percentage decrease in corneal endothelial cell density in the short ACD group (ACD I) at one day and one week postoperatively were corneal incisional tunnel length and nucleosclerosis.
Conclusions: Risk factors for endothelial cell loss after phaoemulsification were different according to ACD. Long corneal tunnel length can be one of the risk factors for endothelial cell loss in short ACD eyes.
Keywords: Endothelial cell density; Phacoemulsification; Tunnel length.