TITLE: CYSTOID MACULAR EDEMA AFTER PHACOEMULSIFICATION SURGERY IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY FROM AN INDIAN POPULATION

PURPOSE: To study incidence of cystoid macular edema in patients with diabetes mellitus after phacoemulsification and to assess association of cystoid macular edema and diabetic retinopathy grading and to assess any risk factors in occurrence of cystoid macular edema in patients with diabetes mellitus after phacoemulsification surgery

Institutional study, done in a tertiary care eye Institute

A prospective study conducted between January 2023 – September 2023 which includes all patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing phacoemulsification surgery. Patients which were already diagnosed as diabetes mellitus were taken. Comprehensive ophthalmic examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT) were done. Patients with preexisting macular edema, proliferative diabetic retinopathy and patients using topical NSAIDs prophylactically were excluded. Patients were followed up on 4th and 12th week postoperatively. Comprehensive ophthalmic examination and OCT were done. The primary outcome that is new onset cystoid macular edema within 12 weeks of surgery was measured.

Eyes from patients with diabetes mellitus even in absence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) had significant increase in central macular thickness postoperatively. The risk was higher in presence of any DR and rose proportionately with increase in severity of DR grading.

This prospective study quantified the relative risks of cystoid macular edema in patients with diabetes mellitus and the risk with increasing ETDRS severity of diabetic retinopathy. It highlights the need for prophylactic therapy especially in those groups of eyes with highest relative risks.