Diabetic patients are known to have an increased risk of cataract development and cataract surgery is a common surgical procedure for diabetic individuals. Cataract extraction (CE) in diabetic patients as compared to non-diabetic patients is associated with higher risks of reported complications such as capsular contraction and opacification as well as post-surgical worsening of macular edema (ME) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). In this paper, we review the pathogenesis of diabetic cataract, the risk factors contributing to cataract complications as well as DR progression, and assess preventive measures and treatment options for DR and ME following CE.
Keywords: Cataract; complications; diabetes; diabetic macula edema; diabetic retinopathy.