Phacoemulsification and implantation of posterior chamber intraocular lens in eyes with quiescent proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

A phacoemulsification procedure, combined with an "in-the-bag" lens implantation, was performed on ten eyes that once had proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). The ten eyes were in eight patients who had a 20-plus year history of either type I or type II diabetes mellitus. All eyes had reached the "quiescent" state of diabetic retinopathy 2-13 years before the cataract surgery through either argon laser pan retinal photocoagulation and/or pars plana vitrectomy. Nine of ten eyes remained completely free of retinal neovascularization and rubeosis iridis, with follow-up periods between 1.5 and 5 years. One eye has been lost to recurrent vitreous hemorrhages and an inoperable retinal detachment.