Purpose: To assess the changes in the contractility of the ciliary muscle in eyes with presbyopia before and after phacoemulsification and intracapsular lens implantation using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM).
Patients and methods: This prospective study included 50 eyes of 30 consecutive subjects operated at the Department of Ophthalmology. Patients with any ocular disorder affecting visual acuity, corneal surface irregularities, had posterior capsular perforation or intensive postoperative corneal edema, or were ,35 years of age, were excluded. A clear corneal phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens were implanted. UBM was performed with and without instilling 2% pilocarpine. Ciliary body axial length (CBAXL), anterior chamber depth, and angle were measured before and 1 month after surgery.
Results: The CBAXL showed a greater contractile shortening (P,0.5), with centripetal, contractile shift of ciliary muscle mass.
Conclusion: After phacoemulsification and intracapsular lens implantation, ultrasonic biomicroscopy showed significant centripetal movement of the ciliary body compared with that before surgery. This shows that a lenticular sclerotic component may influence both lens movement and the contractility of the ciliary muscle and is believed to be related to the presbyopia.