Observation of anterior chamber volume after cataract surgery with swept-source optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To investigate the changes in the anterior chamber volume (ACV) with swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) after cataract surgery and the factors that influence these ACV changes.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study. Fifty-one patients who underwent cataract surgery were enrolled. Their ACV, anterior chamber depth, and angle widths were measured with SS-OCT before and 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after surgery. The associations between the changes in ACV and posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and axial length (AXL) were determined.

RESULTS

Compared with the preoperative volume, ACV increased significantly at all three time points after surgery (all p < 0.001). ACV was greater at 1 week after surgery than at 1 day after surgery (p < 0.001). Both AXL and the presence of PVD were significantly associated with the change in ACV at 1 day after surgery (p = 0.005). However, neither PVD nor AXL affected the change in ACV between 1 day and 1 week after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

ACV stabilized in the first week after cataract surgery. The absorption of irrigation fluid and balanced salt solution in the vitreous cavity contributed to the change in ACV 1 week after surgery. Eyes with longer AXL and PVD tended to show less change in ACV at 1 day after surgery.