Electrophysiology as a prognostic indicator of visual recovery in diabetic patients undergoing cataract surgery

Abstract Purpose Visual outcomes after cataract surgery in diabetic patients with retinal or visual pathway disease are difficult to predict as the fundus may be obscured, and assessment of potential is challenging. This study assessed value electrophysiology a prognostic indicator recovery cataract, prior surgery. Methods Forty-one (aged 52–80; 74 eyes) 13 age-matched non-diabetic control (21 were examined Pre-surgical examinations included best-corrected acuity (BCVA), slit-lamp bio-microscopy, ISCEV-standard full-field electroretinography (ffERG), flash evoked (flash VEP) testing. Electrophysiological assessments quantification DA LA ERG, oscillatory potentials (OPs; OP1, OP2, OP3, OP4) VEP P1, P2, P3 components. Post-operative BCVA was measured all cases grouped according severity loss: mild (logMAR ≤ 0.1), moderate (0.1 < logMAR 0.5), severe ≥ 0.5). A fourth group those without diabetes. The pre-surgical electrophysiological data compared between four groups by analysis variance. Results post-surgical loss classified ( N =22 eyes), =31 =21 eyes). In diabetes, impairment pre-operative 10.0 ERG a-wave amplitudes, 3.0 OP2 a- b-wave amplitudes showed best significant differences among groups. did not show difference Conclusion can provide useful measure function. Full-field components, including a-wave, component, predicting acuity, inform surgical management