@article{Chen2026, 
author = {Xi Chen and Ai-Ai Dai and Tao-Ran Zhang and Xiu-Fen Yang and Ying-Xiang Huang},
title = {Long-term outcomes of anti-VEGF therapy during cataract surgery in eyes with diabetic macular edema: a five-year retrospective cohort study},
year = {2026},
journal = {International Journal of Ophthalmology},
volume = {19},
number = {10},
pages = {2010-2017},
keywords = {diabetic macular edema, cataract surgery, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.18240/ijo.2026.10.16},
doi = {10.18240/ijo.2026.10.16},
abstract = {AIMTo evaluate the long-term outcomes of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy during cataract surgery in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME).METHODSThis was a retrospective clinical study. Patients with DME scheduled for cataract surgery were included. Prior to surgery, DME was considered adequately controlled, defined as a central subfield thickness (CST) of ≤300 μm without evidence of significant intraretinal or subretinal fluid on optical coherence tomography. Participants were divided into two groups: 18 patients underwent cataract surgery alone, and 10 received both cataract surgery and anti-VEGF therapy concurrently. The study compared the timing of the initial postoperative anti-VEGF injection and the frequency of injections over 5y. Postoperative outcomes, particularly improvements in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and changes in CST, were also examined.RESULTSA total of 28 patients were enrolled, with 10 patients undergoing combined cataract surgery and anti-VEGF therapy (3 males, 62.8±4.4y), while 18 patients (7 males, 70.0±13.6y) underwent cataract surgery alone. The combined therapy group had a significantly longer interval before the initial postoperative anti-VEGF injection (12.2±5.7wk) compared to the cataract-only group (4.4±1.6wk). The combined therapy group also required significantly fewer total anti-VEGF injections over 1, 3, and 5y, with the most notable difference in the first year. There was significant improvement in BCVA from pre- to postoperative stages across all eyes. However, there was no statistically significant difference in postoperative BCVA and CST between the groups.CONCLUSIONConcurrent anti-VEGF therapy during cataract surgery is associated with lower early postoperative DME recurrence and a longer interval to the first postoperative anti-VEGF injection. This combined approach may reduce early treatment burden.}
}