The course of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy following ECCE with posterior chamber IOL implantation

A prospective study on the effect of ECCE + IOL implantation on the course of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in 59 eyes showed that in one to three years following surgery, progression of DR, including the development of newly formed one, occurred in 28.8% of the eyes. This was more marked in patient with IDDM (IDDM-46%, NIDDM-24%) as well as in eyes with pre-operative BDR (pre-operative BDR-62.5%, no pre-operative BDR-16.3%). Final visual acuity was better in eyes without pre-operative DR as well as in eyes that did not show progression of the retinopathy.