Does Clear Corneal Cataract Surgery Influence Conjunctivochalasis?

Conjunctivochalasis is a common ocular condition characterized by excess conjunctival folds and is associated with aging.[1–4] We previously demonstrated that the progression of conjunctivochalasis after sclerocorneal tunnel incisions was associated with the axial length of the eyeball and placement of conjunctival sutures.[4] Conjunctival chemosis occurs more frequently in cases of sclerocorneal tunnel incisions than in cases of corneal incisions.[5] This suggests that a clear corneal incision may induce less postoperative conjunctival inflammation compared to a transconjunctival sclerocorneal incision. Therefore, we evaluated the influence of clear corneal incision in cataract surgery on the severity of conjunctivochalasis based on a previously reported grading scale. This study was conducted in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Institutional Review Board. The inclusion criteria were: age > 40 years; nuclear cataract grades II–IV based on the Emery–Little classification; and uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery. A total of 83 patients (83 eyes) who underwent mini-incision (2.4 mm) phacoemulsification for corneal wound were enrolled, including 43 men and 40 women aged 72.3 ± 9.8 years (mean ± standard deviation), with an age range of 42–88 years.