Short-term Effect of Strabismus Surgery on Choroidal Vasculature

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optical Coherence Tomography
• Choroidal Imaging

Background:

• Strabismus surgery aims to correct eye alignment.
• Understanding the impact of such surgery on ocular structures is crucial for patient outcomes.
• The choroid, a vascular layer, may be affected by surgical interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of strabismus surgery on choroidal structure.
• To quantify changes in choroidal vascularity using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and binarization methods.

Main Methods:

• Utilized OCT imaging from 27 patients (42 eyes) undergoing horizontal strabismus surgery.
• Employed image binarization to analyze choroidal structure before and at 1 day/1 week after surgery.
• Calculated Total Choroidal Area (TCA), Stromal Area (SA), Luminal Area (LA), and Choroidal Vascularity Index (CVI).

Main Results:

• Preoperative CVI was 0.66 ± 0.02, TCA 599686 ± 113451, and SA 209180 ± 47723.
• One day post-surgery, CVI decreased to 0.65 ± 0.02, while TCA and SA increased.
• By one week post-surgery, these parameters returned to near preoperative values.

Conclusions:

• Strabismus surgery induced temporary changes in choroidal structure.
• A decrease in CVI and an increase in SA were observed in the early postoperative period.
• These alterations are potentially linked to hemodynamic or inflammatory changes, resolving within a week.