Comparative Evaluation of Macular Thickness Following Uneventful Phacoemulsification and Small Incision Cataract Surgery

Backgrounds: To compare the change in central macular thickness (CMT) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in subjects undergoing uneventful phacoemulsification and small incision cataract Surgeries (SICS). Methods: In this prospective observational study, patients undergoing uneventful cataract surgery were subdivided into two groups. Forty-five patients who underwent SICS were included in Group S (n = 45) whereas patients undergoing uneventful phacoemulsification were included in Group P (n = 50). Findings of slit-lamp examination, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and fundus examination were recorded for all cases on the first postoperative day as well as 6 weeks after surgery. CMT of participants was determined using spectral-domain OCT preoperatively and at 6 weeks' postoperatively. Results: Overall three patients had postoperative cystoid macular edema, one case in Group P and two cases in Group S. 98%of patients in Group P and 95.5% of patients in Group S achieved BCVA of 6/9 or more. In Group S, a significant difference was observed between preoperative and postoperative central subfield mean thickness (P < 0.01). In Group P preoperative and 6th week, postoperative mean macular thickness showed a significant difference (P ≤ 0.03) only in the superior outer subfield. On comparing the change in CMT in the Group P with Group S, a significant difference was noted with markedly lesser chances of subclinical macular edema in the Group P. Conclusion: Although the increase in mean macular thickness postoperatively did not affect the final visual outcome in both the groups, Subclinical change in Group P was significantly lesser than that in Group S.