INCREASED COMFORT AND DECREASED INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE BY COOLING AFTER CATARACT-SURGERY

PURPOSE: Cooling can reduce clinical symptoms and pain caused by traumatic swelling or fracture of extremities. We obtained subjective and objective measures of the effects of cooling of the eyes after cataract surgery. METHODS: Twenty patients with bilateral cataracts were enrolled in this study. For each patient, an ice cold eye mask was applied over gauze to one operated on eye for two hours after the operation and was not applied after operation on the other eye. After each operation, the patient rated comfort on a five-point scale. The severity of inflammation associated with each procedure was evaluated by using an infrared radiation thermometer to determine the central corneal temperature and a laser flare-cell meter to determine the cell and flare count, at intervals up to 28 days after surgery. RESULTS: Cooling, applied after the first operation in ten patients and after the second operation in ten patients, statistically significantly increased the patients' comfort level and was associated with a significant decrease in central corneal temperature on days 0, 1, and 3; in cell counts on days 1, 3, 7, and 14; and in flare counts on days 1, 14, and 28. CONCLUSIONS: Cooling increased the comfort level and reduced inflammation after cataract surgery, with no adverse effects.