Optical coherence tomography assessment of angle anatomy changes after cataract surgery.

PURPOSE To evaluate changes in anterior chamber (AC) morphology induced by cataract extraction using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT). DESIGN Prospective comparative observational case series. METHODS Thirty-two eyes of 32 patients underwent OCT imaging of the angle before and after cataract surgery. Anterior chamber depth (ACD), angle opening distance at 500 microm (AOD(500)) and trabecular-iris space at 500 microm (TISA(500)) were measured pre- and postoperatively. Preoperative lens thickness (LT) and lens position (LP) were calculated. RESULTS ACD, AOD(500), and TISA(500) increased significantly after cataract extraction (P < .001). Preoperatively, ACD and LT highly correlated (P = .0083) as did ACD and TISA(500) (P = .0001). TISA(500) correlated with LP (P = .0001) but not with LT (P = .74). CONCLUSIONS Changes in angle morphology after cataract surgery can be imaged and objectively quantified by anterior segment OCT. Lens position may have a greater influence on angle width than LT.