Effect of Intracameral Air Bubble Injection on Early Visual and Intraocular Pressure Outcomes After Phacoemulsification.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of intracameral air bubble injection in enhancing visual acuity following phacoemulsification cataract surgery.

METHODS

A prospective quasi-experimental study was conducted on 98 eyes from 78 participants who underwent phacoemulsification at SMEC Eye Hospital, Medan, between March and August 2025. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon using the phaco-chop technique with bimanual irrigation/aspiration and intraocular lens (IOL) hydro-implantation using a Venturi phaco machine (Bausch+Lomb, Bridgewater, NJ, USA). At the conclusion of the surgery, 0.5% levofloxacin was administered intracamerally for infection prophylaxis, followed by air bubble injection. Postoperative outcomes included uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and intraocular pressure (IOP), analyzed using paired t-tests (95% CI; p<0.05).

RESULTS

UCVA improved significantly from logMAR 0.823 ± 0.113 (0.602-1.301) to 0.103 ± 0.073 (0.000-0.397) (p<0.001). BCVA improved from logMAR 0.651 ± 0.108 (0.477-0.903) to 0.083 ± 0.079 (0.000-0.176) (p<0.001). Mean IOP decreased from 17.23 ± 1.52 mmHg (16-20) to 13.26 ± 1.21 mmHg (11-16) (p<0.001). Minimal corneal edema and no significant inflammation were observed.

CONCLUSION

Intracameral air bubble injection at the end of phacoemulsification significantly improves UCVA and BCVA, lowers IOP, and minimizes corneal edema. This simple, safe, and reproducible technique represents a valuable adjunct to cataract surgery for optimizing postoperative visual outcomes and patient satisfaction.