Will my diabetes cause scarring after cataract surgery?
SEP 07, 2015
Question:
I am a non-insulin dependent diabetic with good control of my blood glucose levels. Does diabetes cause poor healing and/or scarring that would impact my vision after cataract surgery?
Answer:
As a general rule, well-controlled diabetes does not cause poor healing and/or scarring after cataract surgery. However, people with diabetes are at a higher relative risk for infection called endophthalmitis. Although the relative risk (compared to those without diabetes) is higher, the absolute risk is still very low: on the order of less than one in one thousand operations. Also, if you have diabetic retinopathy, there is a risk of worsening of the retinopathy after cataract surgery. It is important that any diabetic retinopathy be well treated prior to cataract surgery.