Introduction: Cataract contributes to 62.6% overall ocular morbidity and is the main reason of avoidable blindness worldwide. Amongst the complications that follow cataract extraction, CME can occur inspite of utmost care. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-contact, non-invasive and quantitative imaging modality for assessing macular pathologies like CME. This study assessed the changes in macular thickness after an uneventful SICS and Phacoemulsification surgery. Study Design: The study was conducted amongst 100 consenting patients who underwent cataract extraction either via SICS or phacoemulsification. They were divided into two groups based on the same. Patients in whom pre-op OCT could be performed, those without any retinal/macular pathology and those had an uneventful cataract surgery were included in the study. Patients with existing macular pathologies, traumatic/pediatric cataract, eventful surgery with intra op use of drugs that could affect the macular thickness were excluded. Patients were examined pre-op and post op at 1 and 3 months. Observations and Results: The changes in mean CMT noted postoperatively at one month and at third month from preoperative mean CMT were statistically significant in both the study groups; however the intergroup difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: There is subclinical increase in macular thickness at 1 month postoperative period which resolves by 3 month postoperative period in both the groups (phacoemulsification and SICS) after uneventful cataract surgery. Increase in subclinical macular thickness has no effect on BCVA.

Keywords: SICS; Phaco; OCT; CME.