Variations in Choroidal and Macular Thickness Maps after Uneventful Phacoemulsification

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Imaging
• Optical Coherence Tomography

Background:

• Cataract surgery, specifically phacoemulsification, is a common procedure.
• Understanding post-operative changes in retinal and choroidal layers is crucial for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate alterations in retinal and choroidal thickness maps after uncomplicated phacoemulsification.
• To utilize enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) for precise measurements.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 66 eyes undergoing phacoemulsification.
• EDI-OCT scans were performed pre-operatively and at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months post-operatively.
• Measurements of retinal and choroidal thickness were taken at the fovea and 9 ETDRS subfields.

Main Results:

• Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) showed a significant increase at 1 month post-operation (P=0.014), returning to non-significant levels by 3 months (P=0.073).
• Foveal retinal thickness (FT) demonstrated a statistically significant increase at both 1 month (P=0.000) and 3 months (P=0.000) post-operation.

Conclusions:

• Uneventful phacoemulsification causes significant increases in FT and SFCT by the first postoperative month.
• The increase in retinal thickness persists at 3 months, whereas the choroidal thickness increase becomes statistically insignificant.