Is glycaemic control essential for cataract surgery among patients with diabetes mellitus?

Diabetic patients are at increased risk of cataracts, with higher risks of intraoperative and postoperative complications. Therefore, it is of interest to explore the challenges in performing cataract surgery on diabetic patients. Hence, a prospective study of 300 Type II diabetes patients undergoing cataract surgery found that 69.3% achieved post-operative visual acuity of 6/18 or better. Common complications included iritis (9.7%) and striate keratopathy (7.7%). The severity of diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, and poor preoperative visual acuity were linked to worse postoperative outcomes. Intravitreal steroids may improve outcomes in patients with diabetic macular edema.