EFFECT OF INTRAOCULAR IRRIGATING SOLUTION ON FLICKER ELECTRORETINOGRAM DURING CATARACT-SURGERY IN HUMAN EYE

The effects of two commercially available intraocular irrigating solut ions, Opeguard MA and BSS Plus, were studied during extracapsular cata ract surgery in 45 eyes of 35 patients. After irrigation and aspiratio n of the residual cortex with Opeguard MA or BSS-Plus, the ERG amplitu de increased, respectively, to 111.2 +/- 5.8% and 109.5 +/- 5.3% of th e preirrigation amplitudes. The increases reached significance (116.9 +/- 7.0% and 115.7 +/- 6.5%; both P < .05) at the end of surgery compa red with pre-irrigation ERG amplitudes. After irrigation with Opeguard MA or BSS-Plus, the ERG peak times were significantly prolonged to 10 3.9 +/- 0.8% and 104.2 +/- 1.2%, respectively, of the preirrigation pe ak times (both P < .01). The ERG peak times significantly shortened to 101.5 +/- 0.9% and 101.3 +/- 1.22%, respectively, at the end of surge ry (P < .001 and P < .05) compared with just after irrigation. Althoug h we have previously shown that Opeguard MA maintained amplitude and i mplicit time of 30 Hz flicker ERG during vitrectomy better than BSS-Pl us, there were no statistically significant differences between the ch anges in amplitude and peak time with Opeguard MA and BSS-Plus during cataract surgery. We speculate that a drop in the retinal temperature during irrigation and aspiration in the anterior chamber and an increa se in the photopic ERG amplitude during light adaptation with the oper ating microscope caused these ERG changes. Jpn J Ophthalmol 1998;42:27 5-280 (C) 1998 Japanese Ophthalmological Society.