AIM: To investigate the condition of visual acuity and macular edema after cataract surgery in diabetes mellitus(DM)patients with fundus lesions.

METHODS: Totally 97 eyes of 97 patients with cataract and DM fundus lesion treated in our hospital from January 2016 to September 2017 were selected, and were divided into the observation group A, 43 cases 43 eyes(DM duration <5a), observation group B, 54 cases 54 eyes(DM duration ≥5a). Besides, 60 eyes of 60 patients with simple cataract were selected as the control group. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and macular retinal thickness(foveal area, inner ring area, outer ring area), and the retinal mean sensitivity(MS)were observed before and after the treatment.

RESULTS: BCVA in control group and observation Group A was better than that in observation Group B(0.24±0.09)at 1mo after operation, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). The thickness of fovea, inner ring and outer ring in Group B were 283.30±17.06μm, 335.51±20.26μm and 297.28±20.22μm, which were significantly higher than those in Group A and control group, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). The MS in Group B(11.54±1.89dB)were obviously lower than the observation Group A and the control group, the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). After 3mo, the total leakage rate of Group B(55.6%)was significantly higher than that of Group A and control group(P<0.0167).

CONCLUSION: Compared with simple cataract patients, the retinal thickness of patients with DM fundus disease is significantly increased, which is easy to has macular edema, and affects postoperative visual acuity recovery, in the patients with longer DM course which are especially obvious.