Evaluation of aqueous outflow facility in patients with high intraocular pressure after cataract surgery.

Background And Objective: To study whether patients with a marked elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) the day after cataract surgery may have a chronically impaired aqueous outflow.

Patients And Methods: In 128 consecutive patients, IOP was measured both preoperatively and the day after phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation. In the late postoperative period, aqueous outflow facility (C-value) was measured with pneumatonography in patients (n = 7) who experienced a postoperative IOP increase of at least 20 mm Hg and in patients (n = 11) with a difference between preoperative and postoperative IOP of not more than 2 mm Hg.

Results: Aqueous outflow facility was normal in both groups. Mean C-value was 0.32 +/- 0.18 microL/min/ mm Hg in the hypertensive group and 0.23 +/- 0.10 microL/ min/mm Hg in the normotensive group. The difference was not statistically significant (P = .20).

Conclusions: Patients with marked IOP elevation the day after cataract surgery do not seem to have a chronically impaired aqueous outflow facility compared with normotensive patients.