Ultrasound biomicroscopic findings in rabbit eyes undergoing scleral suction during lamellar refractive surgery.

Purpose: To evaluate changes of the central anterior chamber depth, cilio-angular cross-sectional surface area, and intraocular pressure in rabbit eyes undergoing application of the scleral suction ring during lamellar refractive surgery.

Methods: Thirty eyes of 30 rabbits were used in the study. The eyes were assigned to one of the following five surgical groups: group 1, no application of the suction ring; group 2, suction for 2 minutes; group 3, suction for 1 minute; group 4, suction for 20 seconds; and group 5, suction for 10 seconds. Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) was performed to determine tomographic features, including central anterior chamber depth, cross-sectional surface area of the ciliary body, and chamber angle structure before and 10 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 1 week, and 2 weeks after surgery. Intraocular pressure was also measured at each of these time points.

Results: Swelling of the ciliary body occurred in groups 2 to 5 of eyes from 10 minutes up to 1 day after the operation, and its severity was positively related to the duration of suction. Shallowness of the chamber angle was positively related to swelling. All UBM-detectable changes became insignificant compared with baseline values at 2 days after the operation. No significant change was found in the central anterior chamber depth and intraocular pressure during the 2-week postoperative observation period.

Conclusions: Transient change in the ciliary body and the chamber angle occurred frequently after application of the scleral suction ring during lamellar refractive surgery in rabbit eyes. Its severity was positively related to the duration of suction. Swelling of the ciliary body corresponded with the shallowness of the chamber angle without alteration of the corneal-lenticular distance and intraocular pressure.