Longitudinal changes in subjective and objective visual function in diabetics 5 years after cataract surgery

To investigate and compare the long-term subjective and objective visual functional results of phacoemulsification in diabetics and non-diabetics.

A prospective, longitudinal, population-based study comprising 57 diabetics and 473 non-diabetics, who had cataract surgery during a 1-year period at Norrlands University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden. Visual acuity data, visual function questionnaire (VF-14) responses, and level of diabetic retinopathy were recorded pre- and postoperatively as well as 5 years after surgery.

Four months postoperatively, the median VF-14 total score for both the diabetics and the non-diabetics was 100; at 5 years, the score decreased to 96.4 and 97.2, respectively (p = 0.81). The median best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of the operated eye was log MAR 0.046 (Q1:Q3 = 0:0.15) for both the diabetics and the non-diabetics 4-8 weeks postoperatively. Five years later, the BCVA for the diabetics was log MAR 0.14 (Q1:Q3 = 0.02:0.34) and for the non-diabetics 0.1 (Q1:Q3 = 0.02:0.3), (p = 0.34). Five years after surgery, 26% of the diabetics and 22% of the non-diabetics had a reduction in VF14-score of 10 points or more (p = 0.64) compared with 4 months postoperatively. One-third of both the diabetics (18/57) and the non-diabetics (149/473) had lost more than 0.1 log MAR unit in BCVA of the operated eye (p = 0.86).

Subjective and objective visual function 5 years after cataract surgery remained stable in most surviving diabetics and non-diabetics. The longitudinal visual function in diabetics was not significantly worse compared with non-diabetics.