Changes of macular thickness after phacoemulsification of age-related cataract

Abstract

Objective To study the thickness of foveal and macular retina before and after phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation of age-related cataract using optical coherence tomography （OCT）. Methods Retinal thickness of foveal and maeular sectors were measured using OCT in 104 eyes of 86 patients with age-related catract who underwent phacoemulsification. Data were collected at 1 day before the operation, and postoperatively at 1 week, 1 and 3 months. Results Postoperative best- corrected visual acuity （BCVA） were between 0. 3 to 1. 0 and improved in all eyes compared with preoperative BCVA. The OCT results showed that the difference was not statistically significant in fovea centralis thickness between preoperation and 1 week after operation （t = - 1. 554, P = 0. 122） , but the difference was statistically significant in thickness of macular area between the two time points （ t = - 2. 557, P =0.011 ）. There were statistically significant differences in the thickness of fovea centralis and maeular area between preoperation and 1 month after operation（ t = - 3.975, P = 0. 000 ; t = - 2. 862, P = 0. 005）. But between preoperation and 3 months after operation, the differences in the thickness of these two areas were not statistically significant （ t = - 1. 568, P = 0. 118 ; t = - 0. 197, P = 0. 844 ）. Conclusion The detecting of macular thickness using OCT may provide an earlier and more comprehensive description of the postoperative macular edema than the only detecting of the foveal thickness. Key words: Cataract ; Tomography, coherence, optical ; Thickness, fovea centralis ; Thickness, macular area