Intraocular pressure variation after conventional extracapsular cataract extraction, manual small incision cataract surgery and phacoemulsification in an indigenous black population.

Introduction: intraocular pressure changes have been reported following the various cataract surgical technique. This study aims to compare the intra-ocular pressure (IOP) variation following conventional extra-capsular cataract extraction (ECCE), manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) and phacoemulsification in an indigenous black population.

Methods: a comparative cross-sectional study of adult patients aged 40 years and above who had pressure was measured with Goldman's applanation tonometer pre-operatively and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month as well as 3 month post-operative periods and recorded. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Mean IOP changes between study groups were compared using ANOVA. P-value of < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant.

Results: total of 82 patients consisting of 20(24.4%) ECCE, 32(39%) MSICS and 30(36.6%) phacoemulsification with mean preoperative 13.4mmHg, 13.5mmHg and 14.1 mmHg (p = 0.657) respectively was studied. Mean IOP increased from baseline at 1st day post-operative period in the ECCE and MSICS groups (13.4 ± 3.0mmHg to 13.7 ± 4.5mmHg (p = 0.84) and 13.5 ± 3.1mmHg to 15.3 ± 5.1mmHg (P = 0.48) respectively), and decrease in the phacoemulsification group (14.1 ± 2.6mmHg to 13.9 ± 3.5mmHg (p = 0.378). There was a decline in IOP in all the 3 study groups by one week post-operative period; the difference was significant only in the ECCE group (p = 0.032). By 3 month postoperatively, there was a reduction in mean IOP when compared with pre-operative IOP the difference being greatest in the ECCE group.

Conclusion: ECCE, MSICS, and Phacoemulsification cause a decline in IOP below preoperative levels at 3 month postoperatively in the MSICS group.