Effects of coronary artery bypass grafting surgery on retinal vascular caliber, ocular pulse amplitude and retinal thickness measurements.

AIM: The retina and ocular vasculature are vulnerable to alterations in systemic hemodynamics, such as in open heart surgeries. Our aim was to investigate retinal vascular caliber (RVC), ocular pulse amplitude (OPA), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular thickness in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery patients. METHODS: Twenty-six patients who had a history of CABG surgery and 26 age-sex-matched healthy participants were recruited for this prospective, cross-sectional and comparative study. The RVC, peripapillary RNFL and macular thickness measurements were taken with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. The OPA, a surrogate of pulsatile ocular blood flow, was measured with the Pascal dynamic contour tonometer. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the CABG surgery patients and the controls with regard to RVC, OPA, peripapillary RNFL thickness and macular thickness measurements (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CABG surgery does not affect retinal structures and pulsatile ocular blood flow in the long-term follow-up.

Chorio-retinal thickness measurements in patients with acromegaly.

PURPOSE: To compare choroidal, foveal, and peripapillary retinal thickness between patients with acromegaly and healthy adults. METHODS: This prospective, cross-sectional, and comparative study included 30 patients with acromegaly (study group) and 30 healthy subjects (control group). The subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), foveal thickness, and peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness were measured with spectral domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: The mean SFCT in the study group and in the control eyes was 374.4±98.1 and 308.6±77.3 µm, respectively (P<0.001). The mean thinnest foveal thickness value was 233.2±22.4 µm in the acromegaly group and 222.8±13.9 µm in the control group (P=0.003). The mean peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness did not differ significantly between the groups (P=0.34). CONCLUSION: The SFCT and foveal thickness were significantly higher in patients with acromegaly, whereas peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness was similar between the groups.