Original Article December 17, 2025 December 17, 2025

Macular thickness analysis after phacoemulsification in prostaglandin analog users

DOI: 10.37039/1982.8551.20250103

ABSTRACT

Purpose:

To evaluate the macular thickness increase after phacoemulsification surgery in patients using prostaglandin analog eye drops, compared to a group control.

Methods:

Patients with glaucoma and cataract diagnosis were divided into two groups: a group of patients using prostaglandin analog eye drops and a group not using this drug class. The patients underwent complete ophthalmologic examination before the standard phacoemulsification surgery and were followed up to eight weeks. The analysis of the macular thickness in the central 1 mm was performed by spectral domain optical coherence tomography during the preoperative period, and at four and eight weeks postoperatively. All statistical analyses were performed with a significance level of 5%.

Results:

All 15 patients (23 eyes) who participated in this study underwent surgery without intraoperative complications. There were no cases of clinically significant cystoid macular edema, which in this study was defined as those who had visual acuity worse than 20/40 at the time of diagnosis. Only two eyes (8.69%) had subclinical cystoid macular edema detected by optical coherence tomography. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups on the macular thickness in the preoperative period, on the fourth or eighth week postoperative. When analyzing the macular thickness increase, the group of prostaglandin analogs presented statistical relevance in the comparison to pre and postoperative exams (fourth week has p = 0.001; eighth week has p = 0.025). The control group did not present a statistically significant increase.

Conclusion:

No case of clinically significant cystoid macular edema was detected by optical coherence tomography. The findings of this study aim to contribute information to the existing literature on the still controversial topic.