Choroidal Structural Changes Assessed with Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography after Cataract Surgery in Eyes with Diabetic Retinopathy

Abstract

Objective. To determine the influence of phacoemulsification on choroidal vasculature in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) undergoing cataract surgery using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Methods. The study was conducted in 23 eyes of 23 cataract patients with mild/moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) without diabetic macular edema (DME) and 23 age-matched controls. Choroidal thickness (CT) and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) were measured at baseline and 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery. Results. The baseline CVI in the DR group was significantly lower than that in the control group ( $P=0.001$ ). CVI in DR patients after surgery significantly increased compared with preoperative values (all $P<0.001$ for 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery). Postoperative increase of CVI and CT in the DR group was more than in the control group, and the difference was significant 1 month and 3 months after surgery (all $P<0.05$ ). Conclusion. Patients with mild/moderate NPDR have reduced CVI compared with nondiabetic patients at baseline; diabetic cataract surgery tended to induce more increase in CVI and CT as compared with nondiabetic patients. This trial is registered with NCT04499768.