Effect of intracameral carbachol given during cataract surgery on macular thickness

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of intracameral carbachol on foveal thickness in patients who underwent uneventful cataract surgery. This retrospective study included two groups: the study group patients (group 1, n=47 eyes) had uneventful cataract surgery and received only carbachol 0.01% for miosis; the control group patients (group 2, n=49 eyes) had uneventful cataract surgery without carbachol or any intracameral medication(s). The groups were compared for foveal thickness after cataract surgery. All phacoemulsification plus intraocular lens implantation surgeries were performed under local anesthesia via temporal clear corneal tunnel incisions. Mean values and standard deviations were calculated for preoperative and postoperative visual acuity (VA) and foveal thickness (FT) at 1 and 4weeks. Optical coherence tomography was used for the FT measurements, with the MM6 map program. The patients in the study and control groups had a mean age of 57.78±9.07 and 59.72±8.96, respectively (p=0.355). All eyes had a significant improvement in VA. In the study group, the mean FT at the visits before and 1 and 4weeks after surgery was 216.87±21.06, 228.81±30.52, and 222.94±29.91μm, respectively. For the control group, the mean FT, before and 1 and 4weeks after surgery, was 222.53±17.66, 231.67±23.08, and 225.41±22.59μm, respectively. Intracameral carbachol 0.01% had no effect on foveal thickness in patients who underwent uneventful cataract surgery.