We thank Tan et al. for their letter,1 which comments on our article2 and questions the appropriateness of routine macular optical coherence tomography (OCT) testing before cataract surgery. The exclusion of anatomical macular abnormalities is an essential diagnostic and prognostic step when considering cataract surgery. The gold standard for anatomical macular assessment had, for decades, been contact lens biomicroscopy. OCT has changed this, and positioned itself as the undisputed gold standard for anatomical assessment of the macula. We believe that it is in the patient's interest to undergo the best available diagnostic process in general, and even more so prior to undertaking intraocular surgery. OCT carries no risks. It does have a modest cost, comparable with that of biometry. The fact that in some countries this modality may not be used routinely due to cost does not have a bearing on what should be considered standard of care.
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