Femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery combined with intravitreal dexamethasone implant in patients with cataract and diabetic macular edema

Abstract

Purpose : To investigate the effectiveness and safety of combined femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery and dexamethasone intravitreal implant in patients with coexisting cataract and diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods : The charts of 14 (6 female, 8 male) consecutive patients who underwent combined femtosecond laser assisted phacoemulsification and intravitreal dexamethasone implant were retrospectively reviewed. All the patients observed 3 months of follow-up. Primary outcome was the change of the central retinal thickness (CRT); secondary outcome was the change of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Any ocular complications were recorded.

Results : Mean CRT decreased significantly from 410±93 microns at baseline to 325±30 microns at 30 days (p = .003), to 305±30 microns at 60 days (p = .0005), and to 335±58 microns at 90 days (p = .016). Mean BCVA was 20/115 (logMAR, 0.75±0.36) at baseline and improved significantly to 20/55 (p =.018) at 30 days, to 20/55 (p=.04) at 60 days and to 20/58 (p=.04) at all postsurgery time points. No case of ocular hypertension was observed. No endophthalmitis or other ocular complications were recorded.

Conclusions : Combined femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery and intravitreal slow-release dexamethasone implant appeared to be an effective approach on functional and tomographic outcomes for patients with coexisting cataract and DME for at least three months after surgery.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.