Effects of Senofilcon A Mechanical Protector on Corneal Endothelial Cells During Phacoemulsification in Rabbit Eyes: Pilot Study

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of a senofilcon A mechanical protector against corneal endothelial cell damage induced by phacoemulsification in rabbit eyes.Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.Design: Experimental study.Methods: The endothelial cell count, intraocular pressure (IOP), and central corneal thickness (COT) were measured before and 3 days after the experiment in 26 rabbit eyes randomized into a test group and control group (6 per group). In study 1, a senofilcon A mechanical protector was inserted into the anterior chamber in the hard-shell group (test group) whereas, an ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) was injected in the cohesive group (control group). Phacoemulsification was performed for a total of 5 minutes (10-second intervals). In study 2, the soft-shell technique was used in the control group with 5 minutes of continuous phacoemulsification. In 2 eyes, the safety and toxicity of the mechanical protector were evaluated.Results: In study 1, there was a 4% loss of endothelial cells associated with the mechanical protector and an 18% loss after phacoemulsification in eyes injected with an OVD; the difference between them was not statistically significant (P = .394). The lOP and CCT also showed nonsignificant differences in both studies. In study 2, the hard-Shell technique induced significantly less endothelial cell damage than the soft-shell group p = .026). Endothelial cell loss caused by the mechanical protector was negligible.Conclusion: The senofilcon A mechanical protector had a protective effect against corneal endothelial cell damage during phacoemulsification in rabbits. (C) 2017 ASCRS and ESCRS