Diabetes Mellitus

According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, Diabetes Mellitus affects 25.8 million people in the United States, or 8.3 percent of the U.S. population. Almost one quarter of those patients are undiagnosed. Unfortunately, the incidence of diabetes increases with age, and, according to the Clearinghouse, affects 26.9 percent of all people aged 65 years or older. It is the leading cause of blindness in American adults between 20 and 60 years of age. Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for early cataract progression. Because of this, patients who are diabetic tend to require cataract surgery at an earlier age than patients who are not affected by it. Therefore, it is important to understand the implications of undergoing cataract surgery in the presence of diabetes.

Patients with diabetes who undergo cataract surgery are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy after surgery. Patients who have pre-existing diabetic retinopathy are at risk of their diabetic retinopathy progressing after cataract surgery. Because of this link, it is very important to maintain strict blood pressure and blood sugar control before, during and after surgery. In addition, there are several excellent new options for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. It is common for your cataract surgeon to work in conjunction with a retina sub-specialist to monitor and treat your diabetic retinopathy prior to, during and after cataract surgery.

In addition, it may be necessary to have your cataract removed to improve the view of the retina. This allows your ophthalmologist or optometrist to examine you for the presence of diabetic retinopathy and accurately recommend appropriate treatment options should they be needed. Remember, your eye doctor looks through the same cataract you do when he or she examinesthe back of your eye. Therefore, if you have difficulty seeing fine details due to your cataract, your eye doctor will have the same difficulty viewing the details of your retina and optic nerve, making it difficult to provide an adequate assessment of the health of your retina and nerve. In this case, even if the cataract is not the primary reason for reduced vision, doctors may recommend removal of a cataract in order to determine and implement appropriate treatment. This will help to prevent further vision loss from the effects of diabetes on the retina, even if it does not directly lead to improved vision.

© Vision Information Services, LLC, Mooresville, NC 2012