Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the effects of vitrectomy and membrane peeling on choroidal thickness over a period of 3 months.
Methods :
22 patients with significant epiretinal membrane were included in the analysis of this prospective study. In 10 patients additional phakoemulsification and lens implantation in the bag was performed. Visual acuity was evaluated at baseline, one week, one month and 3 months after surgery. Choroidal thickness was measured using a SD OCT (spectralis Heidelberg) and a swept source OCT (Topcon triton) at baseline, at day 1, day 7 month 1 and month 3 after surgery. The central choroidal area was determined using a spezialized software (Octavo2).
Results :
Visual acuity increased significantly from 0.45 to 0.6 (p<0.05 baseline vs month 3). Choroidal thickess did not change over time neither with swept source OCT nor with sprectral domain OCT. The results were comparable with both methods and there was no difference in choroidal thickness between the treated and the fellow eye at any timepoint.
Conclusions :
Successful vitrectomy and membrane peeling increased visual acuity 3 months after the operation. No significant short time effects on choroidal thickness could be detected throughout the study period. Spectral domain OCT and swept source OCT showed comparable results concerning the evaluation of central choroidal thickness.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.