Evaluation of the effectiveness of surfactant in the treatment of corneal edema

Aims: We aimed to compare the efficacy of surfactant and 3% sodium chloride in the treatment of corneal edema after cataract surgery. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out as a prospective controlled study in the Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University. Thirty-five eyes of 35 patients (Group 1) with cataract surgery and no corneal edema and 66 eyes of 66 patients with corneal edema were included in the study. Patients with corneal edema were divided two groups, group 2 (33 eyes) were started 3% sodium chloride treatment and group 3 (33 eyes) were started surfactant drop treatment. Central corneal thickness (CCT) measurement by ultrasonic pachymetry (UP), specular microscopy (SPM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) with a complete ophthalmologic examination 1 day before surgery and first day, first week and second week postoperatively. Endothelial cell counting was performed using SPM. Results: The mean age of the patients was 68.67 ± 9.69 and 42 (41.6%) were female and 59 (58.4%) were male. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of mean CCT and endothelial number before surgery (p>0,05). On the first postoperative day; mean CCT was significantly lower in group 1 than in the other two groups (p<0,05). There was no significant difference between groups 2 and 3 (p>0,05). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of endothelial cell count (p>0,05). On the 7th and 14th postoperative day; there was a significant difference between the groups 1 and 2 with all CCT measurement methods (p: UP; 0.001, SPM; 0.007, OCT; 0,001), and there was no significant difference between the groups 1 and 3 (p>0,05). While there was no significant difference between groups 2 and 3 in UP and SPM (p>0,05), there was a significant difference in OCT (p: 0,001). The mean endothelial cell count was not significantly different between groups 2 and 3 (p>0,05), but was significantly higher in group 1 (p: group 1-2; 0.002, group 1-3; 0,005). Conclusion: Surfactant may be a more effective treatment option than hypertonic sodium chloride in the treatment of corneal edema after cataract surgery.