Bilateral Alteration Of Cornea Nerve And Ocular Surface In Patients Undergoing Unilateral Cataract Surgery

Objective To evaluate bilateral changes of corneal nerve and ocular surface after unilateral cataract surgery.Methods 20 patients with age-related cataract underwent unilateral cataract surgery were included.The following parameters were recorded in both operated eyes and unoperated eyes preoperatively and 1week postoperatively.Ocular Surface Disease Index(OSDI)、Tear break-up time(TBUT)、Schirmer’sⅠtest(SIT)and cornea fluorescein staining(FL)were used to assess dry eye symptoms and signs.In vivo confocal microscopy was performed to observe corneal nerves.The correlations between corneal nerve parameters and dry eye symptoms and signs were analyzed.Results In both eyes,TBUT values decreased and FL scores increased at 1 week postoperatively(respectively,P=0.02;P=0.04),SIT values and OSDI scores were not statistically different at 1week from baseline(all P>0.05);(2)The mean CNFD、CNBD、CNFL、CTBD、CNFA、CNFrD in the operated eyes were significantly lower at 1 week postoperatively than preoperatively(respectively,P=0.001;P<0.0001;P<0.0001;P<0.0001;P<0.0001;P=0.0001).All cornea nerve parameters in the unoperated eyes had no obvious change before and after operation(all P>0.05).Only the mean CNFL in the operated eyes were significantly lower than those in the unoperated eyes 1week after operation(P=0.04);(3)In both eyes,there was no correlation between corneal nerve morphology and dry eye symptoms or signs(all P>0.05).Conclusion Patients undergoing unilateral cataract surgery exhibit bilateral ocular surface impairments.While operated eyes show severe cornea nerve loss,these changes were not present in the contralateral unoperated eyes within a short period of time after surgery.