Variations in Choroidal and Macular Thickness Maps after Uneventful Phacoemulsification

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in retinal and choroidal thickness maps following uncomplicated phacoemulsification using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). METHODS: A prospective study was done on 66 eyes. EDI-OCT was performed preoperative, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperative measuring retinal and choroidal thickness at the fovea and the 9 ETDRS subfields. RESULTS: Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) showed statistically insignificant increase after 1 week (‎‎P = 0.473), but the increase was statistically significant after 1 month (P = 0.014). However, after 3 months, there was non-significant difference from baseline (P = 0.073). Foveal retinal thickness (FT) demonstrated statistically insignificant increase after 1 week (P = 0.094), but statistically significant increase was noted after 1 and 3 months (P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Uneventful phaco induced statistically significant increases in FT and SFCT from the first postoperative month; however, 3 months postoperative the increase in retinal thickness was maintained but the increase in choroidal thickness became statistically insignificant.