Effect of cataract surgery with phacoemulsification on diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

To asses the influence of cataract surgery and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation on retinopathy progression, and visual acuity in patients with different stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Ninety-three eyes of 76 patients with or without diabetic retinopathy were evaluated prospectively following cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation between January 1995 and December 2000. The ocular findings were recorded on each follow-up visits for at least 3 months. Seventeen eyes (26.9%) showed progression of retinopathy in the follow-up period in eyes with retinopathy. Two eyes (6.6%) preoperatively without retinopathy developed background diabetic retinopathy. Worsening of retinopathy in eyes with diabetic retinopathy was higher than eyes with no-diabetic retinopathy (p<0.05). Good visual acuity of 5/10 or better was achieved in 3 eyes (18.7%) with proliferative DR, in 21 eyes (44.6%) with non-proliferative DR and 29 eyes (96.6%) with no-DR. The results of this prospective study indicate that diabetic retinopathy may worsen after cataract surgery.