Meibomian Gland Morphology Changes After Cataract Surgery: A Contra-Lateral Eye Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the morphology changes of meibomian glands (MGs) after cataract surgery.

Setting

Hangzhou Branch of the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China.

Methods

In this contra-lateral eye study, 40 patients received unilateral cataract surgery for age-related cataract. All the patients underwent the evaluation of non-invasive break-up time (NIBUT) and lower tear meniscus height (TMH) before the surgery and 6 months post-operatively. The MGs were evaluated via ImageJ and Meibomian Gland Bio-image Analyzer. MG dropout, length, width, area, gland diameter deformation index (DI), and gland signal index (SI) were recorded.

Results

MG length, width, area, DI, and SI were significantly decreased after cataract surgery in the study group (operated eyes, P < 0.001, P = 0.003, P < 0.001, P = 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively) and showed no significant changes in the control group (non-operated eyes) (all P > 0.05). MG loss increased more in the study group (P = 0.030), and the changes in TMH and NIBUT were not significantly different between the two eyes (both P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Cataract surgery aggravated meibomian gland morphology, such as MG loss, MG length, width, area, and SI, and produced no change in NIBUT and TMH at 6 months post-operatively.