To report the change of anterior chamber parameters according to cataract severity after cataract surgery and to determine its relationship to the severity of cataract by using anterior segment optical coherence tomography.

We measured the anterior chamber parameters in 19 eyes of 14 patients before, 1 week after, and 1 month after cataract surgery by slit lamp-adapted optical coherence tomography (SL-OCT). The measured parameters were as follows : the anterior chamber depth (ACD), the angle-opening distance 250 µm from the scleral spur (AOD250), the angle-opening distance 500 µm from the scleral spur (AOD500), and the trabecular-iris angle (TIA). We analyzed the relationship between the severity of cataract and the change of the anterior chamber parameters.

The ACD, AOD250, AOD500, and TIA increased significantly at postoperative 1 week ( P =0.000, 0.002, 0.005, 0.022) and 1 month ( P =0.000, 0.004, 0.001, 0.002). The preoperative parameters were negatively correlated with the differences between the postoperative 1 week and preoperative parameters (γ=-0.834, -0.591, -0.421, -0.826) and between postoperative 1 month and preoperative parameters (γ=-0.659, -0.700, -0.770, -0.821). The change of parameters at postoperative 1 week (by N P =0.959, 0.916, 0.824, 1.000, by C P =0.454, 0.665, 0.578, 0.578) and 1 month (by N P =0.858, 0.973, 0.959, 0.959, by C P =0.999, 0.207, 0.950, 0.981) were not significantly different according to the severity of cataract (N, C).

Our results showed that cataract surgery significantly deepened the anterior chamber and widened its angle. The shallower and narrower the preoperative anterior chamber depth and angle were, respectively, the greater the postoperative changes of anterior chamber depth and angle were.