Sabihuddin Ahmad, Ayeza Sabih.
A Comparison Between Eye Padding & Eye Shield After Phacoemulsification.
Ophthalmol Update Jan ;14(2):9-12.

Objective: To compare the differences in padding the eye and keeping it unpadded after phacoemulsification. Study Design: A prospective study. Place & Duration of Study: The department of ophthalmology, Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi from May 2015 to August 2015. Patients & Methods: The study included 100 patients who underwent cataract surgery with phacoemulsification and implantation of a foldable IOL under topical anaesthesia, at CMH Rawalpindi over a period of 3 months. Fifty patients were padded postoperatively with a typical cotton and gauze pad and the other fifty were just given a clear plastic cartella shield with no pad. Conjunctival and lid margin swabs were taken of all patients reporting for surgery and were inoculated on blood agar and sent to laboratory for culture. The same was done on all patients on the first post op day at random and the inoculates, sent for incubation to the lab. All eyes were assessed regarding the type and amount of discharge , conjunctival congestion and corneal status on the 1st post operative day. Results: The culture reports of the two groups showed no difference in results, the discharge from the unpegged group was significantly less and the corneal health was definitely better in the unpegged group. Patient response and comfort was a definite advantage in the unpegged group. Conclusion: Padding the eye after cataract surgery has been a tradition ever since. In view of the modern techniques of cataract surgery it was thought to give it a scientific basis to evaluate the requirement of this age old method. It was found that giving away this traditional method has a definite benefit to our patients, regarding comfort and post-operative recovery after cataract surgery with phacoemulsification.

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