Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41636823›Full record

ArticleClinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society2026

Alterations in retinal microcirculation following cardiac surgery: a prospective observational study using optical coherence tomography angiography.

Lina Aluzaite-Baranauskiene, Andrius Pranskunas, Audrone Veikutiene, Andrius Montrimas, Gabrielius Dailide, Austeja Judickaite, Dovile Buteikiene, Dalia Zaliuniene

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Article in Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Lina Aluzaite-BaranauskieneDepartment of Ophthalmology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu Str. 2, 50161, Kaunas, Lithuania. lina.aluzaite@stud.lsmu.lt.
Andrius PranskunasDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu Str. 2, 50161, Kaunas, Lithuania.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9365-9984
Audrone VeikutieneDepartment of Cardiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu Str. 2, 50161, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Andrius MontrimasDepartment of Ophthalmology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu Str. 2, 50161, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Gabrielius DailideDepartment of Ophthalmology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu Str. 2, 50161, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Austeja JudickaiteDepartment of Ophthalmology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu Str. 2, 50161, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Dovile ButeikieneDepartment of Ophthalmology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu Str. 2, 50161, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Dalia ZaliunieneDepartment of Ophthalmology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu Str. 2, 50161, Kaunas, Lithuania.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with microcirculatory changes. Little is known about the effect of CPB on the structural and vascular parameters of the retina. We aimed to investigate changes in these parameters in patients after CPB surgery.

methodsIn this prospective observational clinical trial, 44 patients who underwent elective CPB surgery were enrolled. All subjects underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography (OCTA) preoperatively and 1 week after surgery. Changes in macular retinal thickness (RT), ganglion cell complex (GCC), vascular density (VD) of the superficial (SCP) and deep (DCP) capillary plexuses, and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) were assessed in relation to CPB duration and aortic cross-clamp (ACC) time.

resultsA statistically significant decrease in RT (p = 0.008) and VD of the SCP (p = 0.023) was observed in the central macula postoperatively. There was a statistically significant increase in peripapillary RNFL thickness in all quadrants and in macular GCC thickness in all regions except the superior region of the ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (GCL +). A positive correlation was found between ACC time and RT, as well as the VD of SCP changes and the VD of DCP in the central macula.

conclusionsCPB surgery induces significant retinal changes, including reduced RT and VD of the SCP in the central macula, along with increased thickness of the peripapillary RNFL and most regions of the macular GCC. Since retinal alterations are associated with ACC time, it is crucial to minimize ACC time to reduce the risk of ophthalmological complications.

Indexed as

Cardiopulmonary bypass surgeryMicrocirculationOptical coherence tomographyRetinaRetinal vascular density

Identifiers

PMID41636823

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.