Surgical Results Following Cataract Surgery in Diabetic Patients

ABSTRACT

The authors retrospectively evaluated 75 diabetic patients (92 eyes) who underwent cataract surgery between January 1995 and December 1997. The minimum follow up period was one year. We analysed retrospectively the final visual cuity, the incidence and risk factors of progression of diabetic retinopathy after cataract surgery. The improvement of visual acuity more than 2 lines was achieved in 81 eyes (88.0%). Seventy two eyes (78.3%) achieved the final visual acuity of more than 0.5. In moderate or severe nonproli- ferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)groups, visual acuity improvement was less than in no or mild NPDR group (p=0.001). Progression of retinopathy occurred in 21 out of 82 eyes (25.6%)one year following surgery and was associated with presence of diabetic nephropathy (p=0.018). The rates of retinopathy progression were higher in patients with longer duration of diabetes or insulin treatment than shorter duration of diabetes, or dietary or oral hypoglycemic treatment, but differences did not reach a significant level.