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

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. 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. Follow-up study was 20 weeks. In Group A and B, mean BCVA improved significantly at all post-surgery time points ( 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.