[Intraocular implants in diabetic patients]

We conducted a retrospective study of 641 cataract operations performed in our service from January 1982 to January 1986 in order to evaluate the results obtained on diabetic patients who had cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation. In this general population who underwent cataract surgery, diabetics represent 14% of our cases. In this sub-group, we identified 28 patients (33 eyes) who received an intraocular lens. Among these eyes, 25 (76%) achieved a post-operative visual acuity of 5/10 or better. We found that cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation in diabetics carries the same risks and the same complications rate as it does for a general population. However, for these patients are found a particular risk of activation of the diabetic retinopathy with early development of diabetic maculopathy in 10% of the cases. The examination and treatment of this retinal complication did not seem to be affected by the presence of an intraocular lens. Therefore, the advantages gained by the introduction of an intraocular lens, justify this type of correction of aphakia in selected diabetic patients.