Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
220,795 studies31 sourcesUpdated 35 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Cureus

Longitudinal Changes in Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness After Phacoemulsification and the Effect of Topical Nepafenac 0.3%

  • Saroj Gupta1
  • Anshukita Anshukita2
  • Priti Singh1
  • Samendra Karkhur1
  • Vidhya Verma1
  • Pragyil Chaturvedi1
  • Vismaya K V1
  1. 1Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, IND
  2. 2Ophthalmology (Uvea and Anterior Segment Consultancy), Sankara Eye Hospital, Samarjhola, IND
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate longitudinal changes in subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) after uncomplicated phacoemulsification and to assess whether topical nepafenac 0.3% modifies the postoperative SFCT response.

Methods

This prospective observational comparative study included 30 eyes of 30 patients: 15 received standard postoperative therapy (Group A), and 15 received standard therapy plus nepafenac 0.3% once daily (Group B). Postoperative medication was determined independently by the operating surgeon according to routine clinical practice and was not assigned by the investigators for research purposes. SFCT was measured preoperatively and at postoperative day 1 (POD1), week 1, and week 12 using enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). The primary longitudinal analysis used a linear mixed-effects model with patient-level random intercepts and fixed effects for treatment group, time, group-by-time interaction, age, sex, and axial length. Secondary analyses compared changes from baseline with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Mean preoperative SFCT was 207.8 ± 18.5 µm in Group A and 194.3 ± 18.9 µm in Group B. SFCT increased in both groups, peaking at week 1 (245.3 ± 14.6 µm and 232.7 ± 21.1 µm, respectively) and declining partially by week 12 (231.5 ± 17.6 µm and 215.0 ± 22.1 µm). SFCT demonstrated a highly significant longitudinal change following phacoemulsification (Wald χ²=97.0; p<0.001). However, the group-by-time interaction was not significant (Wald χ²=0.65; p=0.884). Between-group differences in change from baseline (Group B minus Group A) were −2.07 µm at POD1 (95% CI, −8.97 to 4.84; p=0.542), 0.87 µm at week 1 (95% CI, −12.61 to 14.35; p=0.896), and −3.07 µm at week 12 (95% CI, −13.75 to 7.62; p=0.559).

Conclusion

Phacoemulsification produced a significant longitudinal increase in SFCT, with peak thickening at one week and persistent elevation above baseline at 12 weeks. In this cohort, addition of topical nepafenac 0.3% once daily did not detect any statistically significant difference in the longitudinal SFCT response compared with standard postoperative therapy alone. Larger, adequately powered randomized studies are required to determine whether a clinically meaningful treatment effect exists.

Related

  1. Effects of Repeated Low-Level Red-Light Therapy on Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness in Children with Myopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    Yu-Yen Chen, Hsin-Chien Yen, Kuo-Hua Juan +4
    Journal of Clinical MedicinePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textEpidemiology & public healthCrossrefEurope PMC
  2. OCT Assessment of Deep Optic Nerve Head, Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness, and Retinal Layers in Unilateral Anisometropic Amblyopia.
    Elvin Halili Çelenk, Peykan Turkcuoglu
    Beyoglu eye journalPeer-reviewedCC BY-NCFull textEpidemiology & public healthEurope PMC
  3. Longitudinal Changes in Choroidal Thickness Across the Eye in Young Children With Premyopia.
    Karen Flores, Aidan McCullough, Zhihui She +2
    Investigative ophthalmology & visual sciencePeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textEpidemiology & public healthEurope PMC
  4. Short-term choroidal thickness modulation with SAT-001 digital software intervention in pediatric myopia: a randomized pilot study
    So Young Han, Jarang Hahm, Mi Kyoung Bae +2
    Scientific ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textEpidemiology & public healthCrossref
  5. Choroidal thickness postural changes in healthy young adults
    Maddalena De Bernardo, Marco Gioia, Andrea Valerio Marino +2
    Scientific ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineDOAJ

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{gupta2026longitudinal,
  title = {{Longitudinal Changes in Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness After Phacoemulsification and the Effect of Topical Nepafenac 0.3%}},
  author = {Saroj Gupta and Anshukita Anshukita and Priti Singh and Samendra Karkhur and Vidhya Verma and Pragyil Chaturvedi and Vismaya K V},
  journal = {Cureus},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.7759/cureus.117523},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.117523},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Longitudinal Changes in Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness After Phacoemulsification and the Effect of Topical Nepafenac 0.3%
AU  - Saroj Gupta
AU  - Anshukita Anshukita
AU  - Priti Singh
AU  - Samendra Karkhur
AU  - Vidhya Verma
AU  - Pragyil Chaturvedi
AU  - Vismaya K V
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/06
JO  - Cureus
DO  - 10.7759/cureus.117523
UR  - https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.117523
AB  - Purpose  This study aimed to evaluate longitudinal changes in subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) after uncomplicated phacoemulsification and to assess whether topical nepafenac 0.3% modifies the postoperative SFCT response.  Methods  This prospective observational comparative study included 30 eyes of 30 patients: 15 received standard postoperative therapy (Group A), and 15 received standard therapy plus nepafenac 0.3% once daily (Group B). Postoperative medication was determined independently by the operating surgeon according to routine clinical practice and was not assigned by the investigators for research purposes. SFCT was measured preoperatively and at postoperative day 1 (POD1), week 1, and week 12 using enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). The primary longitudinal analysis used a linear mixed-effects model with patient-level random intercepts and fixed effects for treatment group, time, group-by-time interaction, age, sex, and axial length. Secondary analyses compared changes from baseline with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).  Results  Mean preoperative SFCT was 207.8 ± 18.5 µm in Group A and 194.3 ± 18.9 µm in Group B. SFCT increased in both groups, peaking at week 1 (245.3 ± 14.6 µm and 232.7 ± 21.1 µm, respectively) and declining partially by week 12 (231.5 ± 17.6 µm and 215.0 ± 22.1 µm). SFCT demonstrated a highly significant longitudinal change following phacoemulsification (Wald χ²=97.0; p<0.001). However, the group-by-time interaction was not significant (Wald χ²=0.65; p=0.884). Between-group differences in change from baseline (Group B minus Group A) were −2.07 µm at POD1 (95% CI, −8.97 to 4.84; p=0.542), 0.87 µm at week 1 (95% CI, −12.61 to 14.35; p=0.896), and −3.07 µm at week 12 (95% CI, −13.75 to 7.62; p=0.559).  Conclusion  Phacoemulsification produced a significant longitudinal increase in SFCT, with peak thickening at one week and persistent elevation above baseline at 12 weeks. In this cohort, addition of topical nepafenac 0.3% once daily did not detect any statistically significant difference in the longitudinal SFCT response compared with standard postoperative therapy alone. Larger, adequately powered randomized studies are required to determine whether a clinically meaningful treatment effect exists.
SN  - 2168-8184
ER  -