Cystoid macular edema after cataract surgery. Aragua regional ophthalmological center and Maracay Central Hospital

Abstract

Cystoid macular edema (CME) is a late complication of cataract surgery. Objective: To evaluate the frequency of cystoid macular edema after cataract surgery at the Regional Ophthalmology Center of Aragua and Hospital Central de Maracay during the period from March to August 2022. A quantitative investigation was developed, with a non-experimental, descriptive design. The study was prospective and longitudinal in a population of 148 patients for a sample of 45 eyes of 45 patients who presented cataracts and underwent surgery using extracapsular extraction and phacoemulsification techniques. Results: 6 cases of CME were presented, representing a frequency of 13%. The average age was 66 ± SD 12.49 years, 50% of the cases were between 65 and 71 years. 67% corresponded to the female sex, with the same frequency of 50% for both eyes. 67% presented corrected visual acuity less than 20/80 at the fourth week, this frequency rising to 83% at the sixth week; 18% presented a central foveal thickness greater than 241 µm in the fourth week, maintaining this value in the sixth. 67% of the patients were operated on by the EECC technique and the rest by FACO. Conclusion: CME is a post-surgical cataract complication, being higher in advanced age, female sex and with the application of the EECC technique. Patients with CME presented progressive deterioration of visual acuity and foveal thickening, observing that the lower the corrected visual acuity, the greater the foveal thickness.