Effect of Intracameral Air Bubble Injection on Early Visual and Intraocular Pressure Outcomes After Phacoemulsification

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of intracameral air bubble injection in enhancing visual acuity following phacoemulsification cataract surgery. METHODS: A prospective quasi-experimental study was conducted on 98 eyes from 78 participants who underwent phacoemulsification at SMEC Eye Hospital, Medan, between March and August 2025. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon using the phaco-chop technique with bimanual irrigation/aspiration and intraocular lens (IOL) hydro-implantation using a Venturi phaco machine (Bausch+Lomb, Bridgewater, NJ, USA). At the conclusion of the surgery, 0.5% levofloxacin was administered intracamerally for infection prophylaxis, followed by air bubble injection. Postoperative outcomes included uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and intraocular pressure (IOP), analyzed using paired t-tests (95% CI; p