Bariatric Surgery Impacts Retinal Vessel Status Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography: A Prospective...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Vascular Biology
• Metabolic Surgery

Background:

• Obesity is linked to microvascular dysfunction, potentially affecting retinal health.
• Retinal microvascular changes in severe obesity (Grade II and III) require further investigation.
• Bariatric surgery offers significant weight loss but its impact on retinal microvasculature is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in retinal microvasculature using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) in patients with Grade II and III obesity.
• To compare pre- and post-bariatric surgery retinal metrics with healthy controls.
• To assess the longitudinal impact of bariatric surgery on retinal perfusion and related health parameters.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, longitudinal cohort study with 12-month follow-up.
• Inclusion of 43 patients with Grade II/III obesity undergoing bariatric surgery.
• Ophthalmic examinations including OCTA performed pre-surgery and at 1, 6, and 12 months post-surgery.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in retinal vessel density (VD) and perfusion density (PD) were observed 12 months post-surgery (p < 0.01).
• Post-surgery metrics approached those of age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
• Significant reductions in BMI, body weight, and intraocular pressure (IOP) were noted (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Obesity is associated with impaired retinal microvasculature.
• Bariatric surgery effectively improves retinal perfusion in obese patients.
• OCTA shows potential as a tool for longitudinal monitoring of microvascular status in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.