ULTRASTRUCTURE OF CLEAR CORNEAL INCISIONS - PART-II - CORNEAL TRAUMA AFTER LENS IMPLANTATION WITH THE MICROSTAAR INJECTOR SYSTEM

Purpose: To examine the ultrastructure of clear corneal incisions (CCl s) after implantation of a plate-haptic intraocular lens (IOL) with th e Microstaar(TM) injector system through two incision widths. Setting: University Eye Clinic and Institute of Histology and Embryology II, U niversity of Vienna, Austria. Methods: Fourteen human cadaver eyes wit hout prior ocular surgery were obtained from the University Eye Bank, Vienna. Single-plane CCls were performed with 3.0 and 3.2 mm steel ker atomes. Using the Microstaar injector system, a foldable silicone plat e-haptic IOL (23 diopters) was implanted in the anterior chamber. ;Dur ing the entire procedure, the eye pressure was kept between 26 and 30 mm Hg by infusing balanced salt solution into the anterior chamber. Sp ecimens for light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were pre pared according to standard procedures. Results: After IOL implantatio n, the 3.0 mm steel blade incisions exhibited distinct distensions at their lateral ends. Adjacent to these distensions, the collagen lamell ae were pressed apart, displaced, and torr. in 3.2 mm tunnels, the cor neal trauma at both lateral ends was considerably less severe. These i ncisions also showed a better primary adaptation of the wound lips aft er implantation. Conclusions: implantation performed with the Microsta ar injector system through 3.0 mm steel blade CCls led to considerably more severe corneal trauma than implantation through 3.2 mm incisions .