People with diabetes who undergo cataract surgery have twice the risk of progression of their diabetic retinopathy, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Sydney (New South Wales, Australia) and the University of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) followed 190 diabetic patients age 65 and older who underwent phacoemulsification cataract surgery between 2004 and 2006. Of the 190 patients, 169 were followed for at least 12 months after surgery.
During the 12-month follow-up period, diabetic retinopathy (DR) developed in 28.2 percent of eyes that underwent cataract surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation and did not have DR prior to surgery. During the same 12-month period, diabetic retinopathy developed in 13.8 percent of eyes that did not undergo cataract surgery and did not have DR at the beginning of the study period.
In a paired-eye comparison of 45 patients with pre-existing diabetic retinopathy who had cataract surgery in one eye but not the other and were at risk of DR progression, 35.6 percent of the post-surgical eyes exhibited progression of diabetic retinopathy, compared with 20 percent of the fellow eyes that did not undergo surgery.
The researchers concluded that people with diabetes who undergo modern phacoemulsification cataract surgery appear to have twice the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy or experiencing a progression of their DR 12 months after surgery.
This added risk, however, is lower that the risk of diabetes-related cataract surgery complications that has been previously documented in diabetic patients who have undergone less advanced cataract surgery (“intracapsular” and “extracapsular” cataract surgery without phacoemulsification).
Source: Development and progression of diabetic retinopathy 12 months after phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Ophthalmology. August 2009.
Tags: Add new tag, Cataract Surgery Complications, diabetes, diabetic retinopathy