INFLUENCE OF PHACOEMULSIFICATION WITH INTRAOCULAR LENS IMPLANTATION ON THE MACULAR AREA OF THE RETINAIN DIABETIC PATIENTS

Abstract

The aim of the study was to measure the effect of phacoemulsification with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation on changes in the macular area of the retina in patients with diabetes. The study included 32 patients (32 eyes) with diabetes who underwent phacoemulsification with IOL implantation. Retinal thickness in the fovea and macular volume were measured by optical coherence tomography after 1 week, 1 and 3 months after surgery. A statistically significant increase in the fovea thickness from 230.24 ±15.18 μm to 242.38 ± 18.72 μm (p <0.05) and the volume of the macular area from 9.38 ± 0.56 mm3 to 9.72 ± 0.47 mm3 (p <0.05) occurred between the first week and the first month after surgery. After 3 months, the fovea thickness reached 246.31 ± 21.14 μm, the macular volume achieved 9.87 ± 0.59 mm3. The first day and the first week after surgery, no significant differences were observed among these indicators. Thus, the maximum increase in the fovea thickness and the macular volume in patients with diabetes is observed between the first week and the first month after surgery, the increasing trend persists up to three months of postoperative period. This can be important in determining the duration of medical therapy for the prevention of macular edema after phacoemulsification.