Comparative Analysis of Optical Coherence Tomographic Study of Macula in Preoperative and Postoperative Diabetic Patients Undergoing Small Incision Cataract Surgery

Abstract

Background and Aim: Macular oedema (ME) occurs in a variety of pathological conditions and accounts for differentdegrees of vision loss. Early detection of ME is therefore critical for diagnosis and management. Optical CoherenceTomography (OCT) is particularly useful and accurate for measuring retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness andmacular thickness. This study is undertaken to evaluate the quantitative changes in macular thickness using spectraldomain optical coherence tomography in diabetic patients undergoing cataract surgery pre and post operatively and itsrelation with diabetic retinopathy.Material and Methods: Study participants included 100 diabetic patients irrespective of presence or absence of retinopathywho underwent cataract surgery. Each eye underwent fundus examination with indirect ophthalmoscopy and OCT ofmacula i.e.,preoperatively and at postoperatively at day 1, 1 week, 4 weeks and at 12 weeks. Best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA) was recorded at each visit.Results: Visual acuity improved postoperatively at 4th and 12th week after small incision cataract surgery to 6/12 and 6/9in majority of the patients. Post operatively 1 month 75% patients achieved vision of 6/6– 6/12. Mean values of centralsubfield macular thickness at preoperatively was 268.9 μm which increased to 278.2 μm at postoperative day 1, 281.6 μmat postoperative 1 week, 286.1 μm at postoperative 4 weeks and 297.2 μm at postoperative 12 weeks.Conclusion: There was no difference in median macular thickness between the groups, and no cases in either group hadan increase in macular thickness to reach this threshold. diabetic macular edema generally worsens after cataract surgery,and that the worsening of macular edema is more prominent in eyes with DR.