[Effect of cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation in patients with myopia on optical coherence tomography measurements].

Introduction: One important question for patients with both myopia and glaucoma is comparability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) data obtained before and after a significant change in eye refraction following cataract extraction surgery with implantation of intraocular lens (IOL).

Purpose: To assess the impact of correcting moderate and high myopia during cataract phacoemulsification with IOL implantation (Phaco/IOL) on the parameters measured by OCT.

Material And Methods: OCT was performed in 31 patients (31 eyes) with axial eye length of more than 25.5 mm before and the day after Phaco/IOL. Changes in 17 parameters of the retina, retinal ganglion cells-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and optic nerve head (ONH) were analyzed.

Results: Axial eye length was 26.94±1.09 mm in average (25.57-29.39 mm). The average refractive effect of the intervention was 8.44±4.16 D (3.75-19.0 Diopters). Signal strength in all OCT protocols was no lower than 5. Changes in the average values of OCT parameters after surgery were insignificant. They exceeded 1% of the pre-operation values only in 7 cases, including all 5 parameters of the ONH, and were significant only in 5 out of 17 parameters. For GCIPL and RNFL thickness, the changes on average did not exceed 0.9 μm, for retinal thickness in the macular area - 2.1 μm. In relative terms, the largest decrease (an average of -0.03 mm; -2.5%) was in the optic disc area.

Conclusion: In patients with high and moderate myopia, the parameters of the retina, RNFL, GCIPL, and ONH, as measured by OCT, changed insignificantly on the first day after Phaco/IOL (considering the signal strength of Cirrus HD-OCT device was not lower than 5).