Abstract: Objective To investigate in vivo the change of pulsatile ocular blood flow (POBF) and relative parameters during phacoemulsification phases with high pressure irrigation. Design Prospective non-comparative case series. Participants Twenty three patients with cataract who underwent phacoemulsification surgery. Methods A total of 23 patients with cataract who underwent phacoemulsification were included. POBF was assessed using a POBF analyzer. The parameters included POBF and average-IOP. POBF was measured 3 times: before surgery as baseline, during phacoemulsification phase and I/A phase. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded by the ECG monitor when POBF was measured. POBF changes, IOP and the relation between age, IOP, heart rate, blood pressure and POBF were analyzed. Main Outcome Measures POBF, IOP. Results The POBF measured at baseline, during the phacoemulsification and I/A phases were 16.43±6.52, 12.36±9.60 and 8.24±6.55 μl/sec, respectively. Compared with baseline, POBF decreased during the phacoemulsification phase and continue to decrease further during I/A phase. There was a statistically significant difference between POBF at baseline and during the I/A phase (all P<0.001). The average-IOP measured at baseline, during the phacoemulsification and I/A phases were 21.10±4.10 mm Hg, 59.64±13.83 mm Hg and 39.72±10.04 mm Hg, respectively. The highest IOP measured in the 3 phases was during the phacoemulsification phase (59.64±13.83 mm Hg). Compared with baseline, IOP measured in the 2 surgery phases increased significantly (all P<0.05). POBF was found to decrease with increasing age or IOP. POBF also increased as heart rate or systolic blood pressure increased. Conclusion The present study indicated that as IOP rose during phacoemulsification surgery, POBF continued to decrease. This suggested that phacoemulsification surgery might cause ocular ischemia with high pressure irrigation. (Ophthalmol CHN, 2013, 22: 82-85)

Key words: phacoemulsification, pulsatil ocular blood flow, intraocular pressure