Retinal Thickness After Cataract Surgery Measured by Optical Coherence Tomography

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report the early postoperative macular change in uncomplicated phacoemulsification cataract surgery. METHODS: A retrospective study of 36 consecutive eyes of 36 patients, who underwent phacoemulsification cataract surgery and OCT, preoperatively and postoperatively was made. In 16 eyes from group 1, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy without macular edema was present before the cataract surgery. In the other 20 eyes (group 2), no systemic or ocular pathology was present . RESULTS: The mean +/- standard deviation (SD) follow up after cataract surgery was 4 +/- 1 weeks in each group. In group 1, the mean +/- SD retinal thickness increased from 201 +/- 14 micro meter preoperatively to 243 +/- 22 micro meter 3 hrs after cataract surgery (P=0.38). In group 2, the mean +/- SD retinal thickness increased from 212 +/- 10 micro meter preoperatively to 246 +/- 24 micro meter 3 hrs after cataract surgery (P=0.55). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that uncomplicated phacoemulsification cataract surgery has no immediate influence on retinal thickness.