Effect of small incision cataract surgery on ocular blood flow in cataractpatients

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of small incision cataract surgery using pe ribulbar anesthesia on ocular blood flow in patients with senile cataract. Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria . Methods: In 33 eyes of 33 consecutive patients scheduled for cataract surge ry, ocular hemodynamics were measured preoperatively and 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively. Measurements included fundus pulsation amplitude (FPA) with a laser interferometric method that assessed the pulsatile choro idal blood flow, mean blood flow velocity (MFV), and resistive index (RI) i n the ophthalmic artery (OA) and the central retinal artery (CRA) with Dopp ler sonography. Systemic hemodynamics and intraocular pressure (IOP) also w ere measured. Results: The FPA, MFV, and RI in the OA and the CRA did not change postoper atively from baseline values, Systemic hemodynamics, IOP, and as a conseque nce ocular perfusion pressure, also remained unchanged. Conclusion: Uneventful small incision cataract surgery using peribulbar ane sthesia did not affect ocular blood flow in patients with senile cataract b etween 1 day and 1 month postoperatively. J Cataract Refract Surg 1999; 25: 964-968 (C) 1999 ASCRS and ESCRS.