Visualizing morphological changes of clear corneal cataract incisions with optical coherence tomography

Dynamic morphological changes of clear corneal cataract incisions are studied with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). Two opposite types of dynamic incision wound behaviors are documented. A stable incision angle range is found to be existent for single-planed, clear corneal cataract incisions. When well pressurized, incision angles within this stable range result in well-apposed incision edges that resist gapping while incision angles falling outside this range have a larger tendency for wound leakage. It is also shown that a two-planed incision can effectively expand the stable range. For incision angles outside the stable range, the farther the incision angle is away from stable range, the larger the gap between incision wound edges when well pressurized. Thus, incision construction method has a major impact on the self-sealing capability of the incision wounds. In this investigation, OCT has been demonstrated as an effective modality for imaging and monitoring corneal surgery.