Carotid Artery Endarterectomy Effect on Choroidal Thickness: One-Year Follow-Up

Purpose. To evaluate the change in choroidal thickness after carotid artery endarterectomy (CEA) in patients without retinal pathology. Methods. A prospective series of patients who underwent CEA at the Tel Aviv Medical Center. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was performed one day before the CEA and at least 6 months after. Data included medical history, smoking history, percentage of carotid stenosis before and after CEA, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and choroidal thickness (subfoveal, 500 μm, 1000 μm, and 1500 μm nasal and temporal). Results. Eight patients (seven male and one female) with a mean age of 70.5 ± 6.1 years were included in the study. The mean internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis was 89.8% ± 5.1 in the operated side, 33.7% ± 10.9 in the nonoperated side (p<0.0001), and 0% after CEA (p<0.0001). Operated side BCVA was 0.35 ± 0.66 compared to 0.61 ± 0.83 in the nonoperated side (p=0.51). The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFChT) of the operated side was 277 ± 67 μm compared to 268 ± 71 μm in the nonoperated side (p=0.81). SFChT and CMT after CEA were 275 ± 64 μm (p=0.96) and 268 ± 29 μm (p=0.98), respectively. Conclusions. SFChT and CMT in patients without retinal or choroidal pathology and significant ICA stenosis can be normal and may not change after successful ipsilateral CEA.