Effect of Diabetes on the Developmental Duration of after-cataract in Pseudophakic Eyes with PMMA or Silicone IOL

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We studied the effect of the duration of diabetes or the severity of diabetic retinopathy on the development posterior capsular opacity in patients with PMMA or silicone intraocular lens (IOL) implan-tation following continuos capsulorhexis and phacoemulsification. METHODS: 41 eyes of diabetic patients (DM group) and 74 eyes of non-diabetic patients (control group) who had undergone Nd-YAG capsulotomy from January 1997 to May 2000 were included. RESULTS: The average interval from cataract surgery to Nd-YAG capsulotomy was 36.3+/-14.1 months with PMMA IOL and 25.3+/-11.8 months with silicone IOL in DM group (p<0.05). In control group, it was 38.0+/-15.1 months with PMMA IOL and 23.4+/-11.8 months with silicone IOL (p<0.05). There was no difference between DM and control groups. The severity of DM retinopathy did not influence the duration from cataract operation to posterior capsulotomy in DM group. Among the patients with diabeters for 10 years or longer, the mean interval from cataract operation to capsulotomy was longer in PMMA IOL group compared with silicone IOL group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Diabetics with PMMA IOL may maintain good vision for longer duration without posterior capsulotomy than those with silicone IOL. The silicone IOL group of more than 10-year DM duration needed posterior capsulotomy earlier than PMMA IOL group or the silicone IOL group of less than 10-year DM duration.