TO STUDY THE CENTRAL MACULAR THICKNESS CHANGES FOLLOWING UNCOMPLICATED PHACOEMULSIFICATION IN DIABETIC PATIENTS WITHOUT RETINOPATHY

Background: To investigate the changes in macular thickness following uncomplicated phacoemulsification in diabetic patients without retinopathy and non-diabetic individuals, both preoperatively and postoperatively after 6 weeks; and assess the correlation between macular thickness changes and bestcorrected visual acuity after phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Materials and Methods: It was hospital based prospective, observational study, the study conducted in the department of Ophthalmology M.G. M Medical College and L.S. K. Hospital Kishanganj, Bihar. Total 50 patients were enrolled for the study. (25 eyes in Case group and 25 eyes in control group). Patients underwent Phacoemulsification using a 2.8 mm superior or supero temporal clear corneal incision with a stop and chop and direct chop technique. Follow up of the patients was done at 6 weeks after the surgery, The period of the study was December 2020 to November 2022. Result: The mean age was calculated and was 58.60 ±8.52 years for the case group and 59.12 ±8.98 years for the control group. The results showed that 11 Patients (44.0%) in the case group were male and 14 Patients (56.0%) were female. In the control group, there were 13 Patients (52.0%) who were male and 12 Patients (48.0%) who were female. A chi-square value of 0.321 and a p-value of 0.571. The results show that there was no statistically significant difference in BCVA between the case and control groups before & after 6 weeks of surgery the p value was (p=0.204)& (p=0.317). However, there was a significant difference in BCVA between the inter groups 6 weeks after surgery (p<0.0001). The CMT was measured before the operation (Pre-operative) and 6 weeks after the operation (Postoperative Week 6). The results show that there was a significant increase in CMT in both groups after the operation (p<0.0001). The mean CMT was 262.36 ± 21.75 μm in the Case Group and 255.04 ± 21.82 μm in the Control Group before the operation, with no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.799). The results show that there was a significant increase in CMT in both groups after the operation (p-value is <0.05, meaning significant). The mean CMT was 264.08 ± 21.84 μm in the Case Group and 256.20 ± 20.93 μm in the Control Group before the operation, with no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.938). Conclusion:Present study highlights a higher incidence of increase of central macular thickness following routine cataract phacoemulsification surgery in diabetic patients that had no evidence of diabetic retinopathy preoperatively. OCT was a useful, non-invasive diagnostic tool in determining CMT post cataract surgery; however the increase is more in well controlled diabetic patients than nondiabetic patients. The short-term post phacoemulsification surgery visual recovery in diabetic patients without retinopathy may not be different from the non-diabetic group. The etiology, pathogenesis, prevention and potential treatment of this complication warrants further clinical studies of larger scale in order to be evaluated in detail. Original Research Article Received : 10/06/2023 Received in revised form : 16/07/2023 Accepted : 29/07/2023