Abstract
Purpose :
To compare the efficacy of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) to sub-Tenon triamcinolone acetonide (STTA) injections during cataract surgery for patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).
Methods :
The medical records of 26 eyes of 21 patients who had DME and underwent cataract surgery by phacoemulsification and aspiration and IOL implantation (PEA+IOL) with STTA from April 2013 to October 2014 were reviewed. The results of these eyes were compared to that of 20 eyes of 15 patients who had DME and underwent PEA+IOL with IVTA from November 2014 to January 2016. The central macular thickness (CMT) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were measured at the baseline, and at 3 and 6 months after the surgery.
Results :
The CMTs was 447 µm at the baseline, 412 µm at 3 months, and 417 µm at 6 months after the STTA injection (all P>0.05). The CMTs was 452 µm at the baseline, 321 µm at 3 months, and 376 µm at 6 months after IVTA. The CMT was significantly thinner at 3 months after IVTA (P<0.05). The BCVAs after STTA and IVTA were significantly improved at 3 and 6 months (P<0.05). The improvement was 0.28 logMAR units after IVTA and 0.23 logMAR units after STTA (both P>0.05). None of the patients had an elevation of the intraocular pressure that required glaucoma medications. There were 7 eyes in the IVTA group that required other therapies, and there were 15 eyes in the STTA group that required other therapies (P >0.05).
Conclusions :
IVTA may be better than STTA for PEA+IOL in eyes with DME. We recommend IVTA combined with PEA+IOL for DME patients requiring cataract surgery.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.