Triamcinolone vs. Laser for Diabetic Macular Edema

Protocol Summary:

This is a randomized, prospective study comparing diabetic patients with pre-operative macular edema undergoing cataract surgery treated with either 4 mg of intravitreal triamcinolone at the time of cataract surgery or focal laser treatment 1 month following cataract surgery.

Disease State:

The conventional treatment for clinically significant macular edema is focal laser photocoagulation. In some diabetic patients however, the cataract often impedes fundus visualization for optimal laser treatment. In these patients focal laser treatment is deferred until after cataract surgery.

Study aim:

The purpose of this study is to determine if intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection at the time of cataract surgery will improve visual acuity and decrease post-operative macular edema in diabetic patients with pre-operative macular edema requiring cataract extraction as compared to the conventional treatment of focal laser photocoagulation following cataract surgery.

Hypothesis:

We propose that by injecting triamcinolone intravitreally at the time of cataract surgery in patients who have pre-operative macular edema, we will not only reduce the risk of exacerbating macular edema but also possibly improve the final visual outcome.

Study Procedures:

After informed consent is obtained each patient will be placed, based on a randomization scheme, into either the control group receiving the conventional focal laser treatment one month following cataract extraction or into the study group receiving the IVTA injection at the time of surgery.

Inclusion criteria

• visually significant cataracts
• pre-operative visual acuity 20/50 or worse
• pre-operative optical coherence tomography (OCT) showing at least 250 microns central foveal thickness.

Exclusion criteria

• macular ischemia
• vitreomacular traction
• macular hole