Postoperative Visual Acuity Outcomes After Phacoemulsification in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Endocrinology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Cataract surgery is common in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.
• Concerns exist regarding visual recovery in T2DM patients, even without retinopathy.
• Evidence-based counseling and perioperative management require understanding outcomes in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review postoperative visual acuity outcomes after phacoemulsification.
• To compare outcomes in T2DM adults without retinopathy or macular edema versus non-diabetic controls.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases.
• Inclusion of English-language prospective comparative studies.
• Independent, duplicate study selection, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale).

Main Results:

• Two prospective comparative cohort studies met inclusion criteria (137 T2DM eyes, 137 control eyes).
• Both studies showed significant postoperative best-corrected visual acuity improvement in both groups.
• Subclinical corneal and macular changes were more frequent in T2DM patients but did not impact functional vision.

Conclusions:

• T2DM patients without retinopathy experience excellent, comparable visual outcomes post-phacoemulsification.
• Vigilant perioperative monitoring is recommended due to increased susceptibility to transient ocular changes.
• High-quality, longer-term studies are needed to confirm long-term outcome equivalence and refine prognostic accuracy.