Comparative study of intraocular pressure change after cataract surgery: phacoemulsification and extracapsular cataract extraction.

A randomized prospective study was performed to evaluate intraocular pressure (IOP) change after extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) or phacoemulsification and aspiration (PEA) with implantation of posterior chamber intraocular lens in otherwise normal cataract patients. IOP was measured preoperatively and postoperatively at up to 6 months. There was a mean fall in pressure of 1.1mmHg (5.72%) in the ECCE group (15 eyes) and of 0.6mmHg (4.16%) in the PEA group (24 eyes) after 6 months. The decrease in mean IOP was significant at 2 months in the PEA group and at 4 to 6 months in the ECCE group, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups during the follow-up periods (p < 0.05). The present study shows that there was some postoperative IOP reduction in both the ECCE and PEA group, but the amount of reduction was not significantly different between the two groups.