Objective: To observe the effect of extracting lens on the damage of corneal endothelium in vitreous and retinal surgery.
Methods: The corneal endothelial cell densities of 179 eyes were observed preoperatively and at postoperative 2, 4, 8 weeks and 3 and 6 months.
Results: Postoperatively, there was no significant change of the corneal endothelial cell densities compared with that of the preoperative ones in phakic eyes among different operations. There was also no significant change of the cell densities, but an tendency of cell loss in the aphakic and pseudophakic eyes after vitreous and retinal surgery. The corneal endothelial cell densities decreased significantly after vitrectomy with lensectomy.
Conclusions: It is the vitrectomy with lensectomy that makes the corneal endothelial damage. Vitreous and retinal surgery poses a risk to corneal endothelium in the aphakic and pseudophakic eyes.