Phaco with intravitreal Bevacizumab effective for coexisting Diabetic Retinopathy

Cataract surgery combined with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) seems to be an effective treatment in patients with coexisting diabetic retinopathy (DR) in the short term (up to 6 months), according to a study published in the journal Scan. This treatment could be safer than intravitreal steroids which may cause a potential elevation in IOP.

Yifan Feng and his associates conducted a study to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of intravitreal bevacizumab injection combined with cataract surgery in the treatment of patients with cataract and coexisting diabetic retinopathy (DR).

The investigators did a meta-analysis and extracted data from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register. Outcome measures included corrected distance visual acuity, central macular thickness, and progression of DR and maculopathy. Six studies describing a total of 283 eyes were identified

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The authors found that:

• Corrected distance visual acuity measured at 1 month and 3 months after cataract surgery were significantly better in the IVB groups than in the control groups, whereas the corrected distance visual acuity at 6 months did not vary significantly between the 2 groups.


• Similarly, the central macular thickness at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery was significantly thinner in the IVB groups than in the control groups respectively.


• At 6 months, the progression of postoperative DR and maculopathy occurred more frequently in the control group than in the IVB group.

The authors suggested that more randomized, prospective, and large-sample–sized trials are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of IVB at the time of cataract surgery in patients with DR.

Diabetic retinopathy is a complicated outcome of diabetes that affects the eyes. It is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the retina. It is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes and the leading cause of vision impairment and blindness among working-age adults.

For reference log on to 10.1097/IAE.0000000000002221