Purpose: To evaluate the impact of corticocleaving hydrodissection alone and hydrodissection combined with rotation on lens epithelial cells (LECs) and residual cortical fibers (RCFs).
Setting: Iladevi Cataract and IOL Research Center, Ahmedabad, India.
Methods: An experimental laboratory study of 20 fresh human cadaver eyes (10 pairs) was conducted. A single eye from each pair was assigned to the control group, in which no hydrodissection and no rotation were performed (control). The other eye was randomized to corticocleaving hydrodissection alone (Group 1) or corticocleaving hydrodissection with rotation (Group 2). Cataract extraction was standardized. Capsule polishing was omitted. Area of LEC loss (%) in the preequatorial zone (PZ) and equatorial zone (EZ) was calculated as: [Area of capsule without cells/Total area of capsule] x 100. Area of presence of RCFs (%) was calculated as: [Circumference of EZ of capsule with RCF/Total circumference of EZ of the capsule] x 100. The Mann-Whitney U and the Wilcoxon signed rank tests were applied.
Results: In the control group, area of cell loss (%) was 3.9 +/- 3.2 in the PZ and 2.7 +/- 0.8 in the EZ; presence of RCFs (%) was 83.8 +/- 1.7. Area of LEC loss (%) in Groups 1 and 2 was 24.8 +/- 4.5 and 42.6 +/- 5.4 (P = .008) in the PZ and 22.4 +/- 2.1 and 54 +/- 2.5 (P = .008) in the EZ, respectively. Area of presence of RCFs (%) in Groups 1 and 2 was 34.2 +/- 3.7 and 23.7 +/- 3.7 (P = .008), respectively.
Conclusion: Corticocleaving hydrodissection combined with rotation removed significant quantities of LECs and RCFs.