Variations in Choroidal and Macular Thickness Maps after Uneventful Phacoemulsification

The Effects of Uneventful Phacoemulsification on Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the impacts of phacoemulsification preoperative and intraoperative factors on postoperative subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT).

METHODS

This prospective interventional study was conducted on patients undergoing uneventful phacoemulsification with posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) implantation at the private clinic Ophthalmica Eye Institute, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Forty-six eyes of 46 patients were included in the study. Operative time (OT), phacoemulsification time (PT), effective phacoemulsification time (EPT) and phacoemulsification power (PP) were recorded for each patient. All patients received dexamethasone and nepafenac drops for 4 weeks postoperatively. Choroidal thickness (CT) at five anatomical locations was measured preoperatively and at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

Subfoveal choroidal thickness significantly increased over baseline thickness at 1 week postoperatively, returned to preoperative levels at 1 month and increased again at 3 months. Changes at 1 week and 3 months postoperatively correlated to baseline choroidal thickness (p = 0.023 and p = 0.011, respectively). Spherical equivalent (SE) inversely correlated to SFCT throughout the entire follow-up period (baseline p = 0.044, 1-week p = 0.011, 1-month p = 0.013, 3-month p = 0.018). EPT was the most significant determinant of increased SFCT at all time points (1-week p = 0.011, 1-month p = 0.01, 3-month p = 0.015). PT and PP significantly correlated to the SFCT increase at 3 months postoperatively (p = 0.033 and p = 0.043, respectively). OT was not associated with a change in SFCT at any time point (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Phacoemulsification can alter choroidal thickness until at least 3 months after surgery. Preoperative and intraoperative factors, notably SE, baseline SFCT, PT, PP and especially EPT, can influence postoperative CT increase.

Changes in choroidal and foveal retinal thickness after cataract surgery: Our results

INTRODUCTION

Cataract surgery is the most common ophthalmic surgical procedure worldwide. In addition, the retina and choroid are the tissues most susceptible to damage during cataract surgery. However, conflicting results have been found about the relationship between choroidal thickness (CT), retinal thickness (RT), and cataract surgery.

AIM

To evaluate the changes in CT and foveal retinal thickness (FT) following cataract surgery in standardized conditions.

METHODS

Twenty eyes from 20 patients who experienced uneventful cataract surgery and twenty eyes from 20 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited in the study. Optical coherence tomography measurements were obtained for 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively and compared with the preoperative and control values. The main outcome measure was through the mean change in CT and FT.

RESULTS

The FT values did not change throughout the follow-up. A statistically significant increase in CT at the macular (P = 0.003) and temporal 1 mm region (P = 0.04) was observed at 1 week following the surgery. However, it decreased to nearly preoperative values at 1 month postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

Although the FT remains stable following uneventful phacoemulsification, the CT changes minimally in the early postoperative period. However, this effect is transient and does not appear to be clinically significant in routine conditions.

Short-Term Outcomes of Cataract Surgery in Patients with a History of Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the short-term outcomes of cataract surgery in patients with a history of idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).

Methods

This retrospective study included 26 patients with a history of CSC who underwent uncomplicated phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) measured before the surgery were compared with those obtained at mean 3.6 months after the surgery. BCVA outcome was also analyzed in eyes with and without subretinal fluid (SRF).

Results

The mean logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution BCVA significantly improved from 0.52 ± 0.40 before the surgery to 0.21 ± 0.30 one month after the surgery and 0.20 ± 0.31 at 3.6 months after the surgery (P < 0.001). The mean CFT was 281.2 ± 84.2 μm before the surgery, 301.5 ± 90.7 μm one month after the surgery, and 279.9 ± 83.6 μm at 3.6 months after the surgery. The CFT before surgery was not different from those measured at 3 months (P=0.253). Significant improvement in BCVA at 3.6 months was noted in the SRF group (N = 12, P=0.003) and the non-SRF group (N = 14, P=0.001). CSC recurrence was noted in 2 patients in the non-SRF group.

Conclusions

Significant improvement in visual acuity was noted after cataract surgery in patients with a history of idiopathic CSC, without a risk of aggravation of CSC in most patients.

Role of Cold Balanced Salt Solution (BSS) in the Prophylaxis of Cystoid Macular Edema After Cataract Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Study

Purpose

To evaluate the postoperative effect on central retinal macular thickness of a cooled irrigating eye solution used during cataract surgery.

Patients and Methods

In this prospective, single-center study, 100 eyes of 50 patients (26 males and 24 females) were evaluated with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) before and after phacoemulsification for senile cataract. Eyes were randomly divided into two groups based on the irrigating solution used during surgery: Group 1, 50 eyes received intraoperative irrigating solution at room temperature (~20.0±0.1°C); and Group 2, 50 fellow eyes received cold intraoperative irrigating solution (2.7±0.1°C). Changes in central macular thickness (CMT) were evaluated in both groups by SD-OCT macular raster scan for the nine Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) subfields and total macular volume, performed pre-surgery, and 1 and 4 weeks post-surgery.

Results

Despite there being no significant differences in variables between the two groups preoperatively, significant increases in CMT were observed at 1 week after surgery in both groups (p=0.02 and p=0.03, respectively), as well as in total macular volume (p<0.0001 and p=0.02, respectively). Inter-subgroup analysis showed a significant reduction in CMT (p=0.03) and total macular volume (p=0.001) at 1 week post-surgery in Group 2 compared to Group 1, whereas no significant differences were observed at 4 weeks.

Conclusion

The use of a cooled irrigating eye solution during phacoemulsification may be beneficial in preventing the possible development of postoperative macular thickening. Further clinical studies may support this finding.

Macular Vascular Density Changes following Cataract Surgery in Diabetic Patients: An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study

Purpose

Cataracts and diabetes very commonly coexist. The aim of the present study was to quantify the effect of uncomplicated phacoemulsification on retinal microvasculature in diabetic patients by using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods

A prospective observational study of diabetic and nondiabetic patients at baseline and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after cataract surgery was performed by using OCTA. We measured the macular thickness (MT), superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexuses (DCP), and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in the 3 × 3 mm macular images.

Results

A total of 32 eyes of 32 type 2 diabetic patients and 40 eyes of 40 nondiabetic patients were assessed. There was a significant increase in MT at 1 month and 3 months after surgery in both groups (all P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.217). At 3 months postoperatively, the SCP level in the diabetic group was significantly higher than that at baseline (P < 0.05). The MT and SCP were negatively correlated with logMAR best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), while the FAZ area and perimeter were positively correlated with logMAR BCVA in the diabetic group.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that phacoemulsification can increase macular thickness in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients and increase SCP in diabetic patients within 3 months after surgery. Whether these changes persist for a longer period still needs to be investigated.

How does nepafenac affect the choroidal thickness after uneventful cataract surgery?

PURPOSE

To investigate the effects of topical nepafenac on choroidal thickness (CT) following uneventful phacoemulsification surgery (UPS) using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT).

METHODS

This prospective study included 45 randomly selected eyes (23 eyes of 23 patients used nepafenac (nepafenac group) and 22 eyes of 22 control patients did not use nepafenac (nepafenac-free group)) undergoing small-incision UPS. All participants underwent full ophthalmologic examination. CT measurements were performed at subfoveal, 1.0 mm temporal, and 1.0 mm nasal using the EDI-OCT preoperatively, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively.

RESULTS

The mean subfoveal, nasal, and temporal CT in the nepafenac-free group had changed from 268.95 ± 63.59 μm to 283.36 ± 65.63 μm, 237.22 ± 64.09 μm to 253.09 ± 67.27 μm, and 235.95 ± 75.22 μm to 259.09 ± 63.66 μm preoperatively to 1 month postoperatively, respectively (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). The mean subfoveal, nasal, and temporal CT in the nepafenac group had changed from 259.65 ± 55.99 μm to 276.65 ± 59.21 μm, 236.34 ± 55.40 μm to 251.00 ± 62.39 μm, and 247.56 ± 50.88 μm to 261.13 ± 53.73 μm preoperatively to 1 month postoperatively, respectively (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). The postoperative CT continued to increase significantly during the follow-up period in two groups. However, compared to the change from baseline to month 1, there was not a statistically significant difference between the groups at subfoveal, nasal, and temporal CT (p: 0.633, p: 0.865, and p: 0.328, respectively).

CONCLUSION

UPS may cause a significant increase in CT. Although increasing in the CT was lower in the nepafenac group than the nepafenac-free group, there was not a statistically significant difference between the groups.

Phacoemulsification Induced Changes of Choroidal Thickness in Eyes with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Background and Objectives: Patients with cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may safely undergo cataract phacoemulsification to enhance visual acuity. Although it has not been proven that cataract surgery can cause AMD progression, different phacoemulsification effects are observed not only on retinal but also on choroidal tissues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of phacoemulsification on the choroidal thickness (CT) in eyes with and without AMD. Materials and Methods: In 32 eyes of 32 patients with senile cataract (No-AMD group) and in 32 eyes of 32 patients with cataract and dry AMD (AMD group), who had phacoemulsification without intraoperative complications and intraocular lens implantation, foveal retinal thickness (FRT) and CT were evaluated three times: at 1–2 post meridiem preoperatively, then 1 month and 3 months postoperatively, using 1050 nm swept source-optical coherence tomography (Topcon, Tokyo, Japan). Results: In both groups, a significant increase in FRT was observed after one month and a decrease after three months without reaching the baseline. One month after surgery, a sectorial CT increase was apparent in all sectors in both groups. A negative association between CT and age was disclosed in the No-AMD group almost for all regions at all time points. Furthermore, CT was significantly negatively associated with axial length (AL) in all sectors at all time points in the AMD group. Conclusion: Uneventful phacoemulsification may induce changes in the posterior eye segment. An increase in CT and FRT was observed in both groups one month after the surgery. However, three months after surgery, CT changes were different in both groups, while FRT decreased in both groups. CT changes negatively associated with age in the No-AMD group and with AL in the AMD eyes. These postoperative changes in the choroid and retina may not only lead to the late-onset pseudophakic cystoid macular edema but also to progression of AMD.

Comparison of choroidal thickness in high myopic eyes after FS-LASIK versus implantable collamer lens implantation with swept-source optical coherence tomography

AIM

To investigate the changes in choroidal thickness (CT) in high myopic eyes after femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) surgery or central hole implantable collamer lens (ICL V4c) implantation using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).

METHODS

We examined the right eyes of 116 patients with high myopia who were candidates for FS-LASIK surgery and ICL implantation. Sixty eyes underwent ICL V4c implantation and 56 eyes were subjected to FS-LASIK surgery. The CT was measured with SS-OCT. All data were recorded preoperatively and 2h, 1wk, 1 and 3mo postoperatively. Other demographic information was collected, including age, sex, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spherical equivalent (SE), intraocular pressure (IOP) and axial length (AL).

RESULTS

The UCVA improved in both groups and showed no significant differences between groups. There also were no significant differences between the two groups in postoperative BCVA and SE (P=0.581 and 0.203, respectively). The foveal CTs, inner nasal and outer nasal CTs were significantly thicker at 2h postoperatively in both groups (P<0.05) but returned to baseline levels in 1wk; after 1mo, no significant differences were found relative to the preoperative values. At 3mo in each group, nine regions showed variations in the CT as compared with preoperative thickening, but only the foveal and nasal area CTs preoperative differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference in 9 regions of CT between the two groups at all follow-up times (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

The CTs after ICL implantation and FS-LASIK surgery are significantly thicker than those before operation, especially in the foveal and nasal areas, but there is no significant difference between the two methods.