Pre- and Post-operative Intraocular Pressure Variation Following Cataract Surgery at a Tertiary Care Center in Kathmandu

Abstract

Manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) is the most practiced cataract surgery in low- and middle-income settings like Nepal. Intra-ocular pressure (IOP) can have an enormous effect on the visual outcome following cataract surgery. This study aimed to see the variation in intraocular pressure pre- and post-operatively following MSICS. This was a prospective hospital-based analytical study conducted at Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital from November 2021 to October 2022. A total of 57 patients undergoing MSICS were included in the study. IOP was measured with a Goldman’s applanation tonometer pre-operatively and at the first and fourth week postoperatively. The study excluded glaucomatous patients. SPSS-16 was used to analyze the data. The mean pre-operative IOP was 13.81±2.8 mmHg, followed by 12.77±2.7 mmHg and 12.61±2.4 mmHg respectively at the first and fourth weeks post-operatively. This decrease in IOP was statistically significant in both the first and fourth weeks. Higher pre-operative IOP and male gender were the factors significantly associated with IOP reduction at both the first and fourth weeks. Thus, MSICS has an IOP lowering effect which is more pronounced in males and patients with greater pre-operative IOP.