Improvement of visual acuity in diabetic and nondiabetic patients after Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy

Abstract

Muhammed Tayyab Awan,1,2 Muhammed Anwar Khan,3 Saba Al-Khairy,1,4 Samina Malik1,41Pak Lab and Diagnostic Center, Karachi, Pakistan; 2School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK; 3Department of Medical Education, King Saud bin Abdul-Aziz University of Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Ophthalmology, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, Karachi, PakistanPurpose: The aim of the study reported here was to compare the improvement of visual acuity (VA) of diabetic and nondiabetic patients after neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy.Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 50 age- and sex-matched patients, comprising 25 nondiabetics and 25 diabetics (referred to as Group A and B, respectively), with posterior chamber poly(methyl methacrylate) non-foldable intraocular lens implants attending our clinic at Karachi for capsulotomy had pre- and postoperative measures of VA, posterior pole visibility, and grading of posterior capsular opacity as seen on slit-lamp examination. VA was recorded before and after performing standard capsulotomy.Results: The postoperative (mean) VA in nondiabetics was 0.25, 0.23, and 0.21 logMAR as compared with 0.25, 0.25, and 0.24 logMAR in diabetics at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months, respectively. P-values of 0.47, 0.47, and 0.24, respectively, were determined, which were not significant. Preoperative VA improvement was recorded in 92% of diabetics in Group B and 96% of nondiabetics in Group A. Two (8%) diabetic patients developed glaucoma and did not participate in the study further.Conclusion: Remarkable improvement in VA was achieved in both Group A and B, but the Group A nondiabetics showed more improvement in best-corrected VA after Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy.Keywords: diabetes, posterior capsule, capsule opacification, intraocular