PURPOSE: To describe the effect of corneal refractive surgery on the magnification of a contact and a non-contact specular microscope. METHOD: The magnification of a contact specular microscope (Konan Clinical Specular Microscope) and a non-contact specular microscope (Topcon SP-1000) was experimentally and theoretically studied as a function of anterior corneal refractive power and central corneal thickness. RESULTS: The magnification of the contact and non-contact specular microscope was found to decrease slightly with decreasing central corneal thickness. In addition, the magnification of the non-contact specular microscope decreased slightly with decreasing anterior corneal refractive power. CONCLUSION: As the preoperative and postoperative measuring conditions are different in patients undergoing corneal refractive surgery a correction for magnification changes is necessary when small changes in endothelial cell density are looked for.
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Isager et al. (1999) studied this question.