Diabetes Patients with RVO and Prior CME at higher risk of Macular Edema After Cataract Surgery: Study

Multivariate analysis revealed that diabetes increased the odds of developing PME by 2.1 times, while a history of CME requiring treatment raised the risk by 4.62 times. Additionally, prior anti-VEGF therapy was associated with a 4.83-fold increased risk. Although visual acuity improved significantly post-surgery-from 0.85 ± 0.55 logMAR at baseline to 0.365 ± 0.39 logMAR at final follow-up-eyes that developed PME had a higher likelihood of poorer visual outcomes, with many not achieving better than 6/18 vision. 

These findings underscore the importance of preoperative risk assessment in RVO patients, particularly those with a history of CME or diabetes. The study recommends routine optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans during the first postoperative visit to detect early PME, enabling timely intervention to preserve visual acuity.