title: Long-Term Changes in Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness After Cataract Surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND Cataract surgery is associated with the development of late-onset age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The pathogenic mechanism is still not fully established. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible changes in central macula thickness (CMT) and subfoveal choroid thickness (SCT) after uneventful cataract surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 65 eyes of 65 patients who underwent phacoemulsification and intracapsular lens implantation were included in this prospective study. Patients had not undergone previous ocular surgery and had no other ocular abnormality. CMT and SCT were measured at baseline and postoperatively at week 1 and months 1, 3, 6 and 12 via spectral domain optical cohorence tomography (SD-OCT). RESULTS CMT was 252.4±27.6 μm (mean ±SD) preoperatively, then 253.5±29.8, 256.1±28.7, 257.4±27.2, 253.18±23.7, and 252.8±21.7 μm at postoperative week 1 and postoperative months 1, 3, 6, and 12, respectively. There were insignificant changes in CMT, and it returned to baseline at six months after surgery (all p>0.05). SCT was 237.4±21.6 μm preoperatively, and 240.5±24.8, 241.2±25.7, 242.7±26.3, 243.1±24.2, and 244.2±21.4 μm at postoperative week 1 and postoperative months 1, 3, 6, and 12, respectively. Although there was an increase in SCT during follow-up, the difference between preoperative and postoperative values was not significant (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Uncomplicated phacoemulsification induces subclinical changes in CMT, probably due to the inflammatory insult of surgery, and CMT returns to baseline value. There were slight, insignificant increases in choroid thickness during follow-up, and this did not return to baseline during follow-up. Changes in the choroid after cataract surgery may provide clues to the development of late-onset AMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Beyoglu Eye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tolga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Derince Training and Research Hospital, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayse Aslihan
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Karci
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Beyoglu Eye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: İhsan
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Bagcilar Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Beyoglu Eye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yıldırım
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Derince Training and Research Hospital, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yildirim Bayezit
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Sakalar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods