Cataract surgery may worsen neovascular activity in certain patients by triggering inflammation that disrupts the blood-aqueous barrier and allows cytokines to enter the posterior segment, a Korean study has concluded.

Age-related eye conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration often coexist. Several studies have suggested that cataract surgery may accelerate neovascular AMD (nAMD) progression.

In a retrospective study, Korean researchers assessed 84 eyes of 84 patients with nAMD who underwent cataract surgery while also undergoing anti-VEGF therapy.

They reported that patients’ best-corrected visual acuity remained stable after surgery, showing no major differences among macular neovascularisation subtypes.

Increased treatment need occurred in 45.2% of eyes.

Choroidal vascularity index (CVI) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) both increased significantly after cataract surgery.

Eyes with increased treatment need showed significantly higher preoperative and postoperative CVI. The polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) subtype demonstrated the highest rates of increased treatment need and the shortest injection intervals.

Study authors concluded that cataract surgery may affect disease activity in a subset of patients with nAMD, particularly those with PCV and increased CVI. Preoperative choroidal characteristics such as CVI and SFCT may provide valuable insights for risk stratification and postoperative management, they said.

Reference available at mivision.com.au.