Dexamethasone intravitreal implant in patients with cataract and naïve diabetic macular edema.

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility and clinical effectiveness of dexamethasone intravitreal implant 0.7 mg (IDI) administered in diabetic patients to prevent the worsening of macular edema.

METHODS

Forty eyes of 40 consecutive patients with naïve macular edema secondary to diabetes mellitus who were treated with IDI administered preoperative (Group A: 20 patients) or IDI administered immediately after cataract surgery (Group B: 20 patients). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) changes were evaluated at baseline and at postoperative time points.

RESULTS

Follow-up study was 20 weeks. In Group A and B, mean BCVA improved significantly at all post-surgery time points (p < 0.05). In Group A and B, mean CMT decreased significantly at 16 weeks (p = 0.02 and p = 0.004, respectively). At week 20, CMT failed to reach statistical significance in both groups (p = 0.5, group A and p = 0.15, group B). No statistical differences were noted between groups in term of BCVA (with the exception of week 4 for the presence of cataract in Group A), CMT and IOP.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of intravitreal dexamethasone implant 1 month prior to scheduled cataract extraction or at the time of phacoemulsification appears to be safe and effective for at least 16 weeks after surgery.