AIM: To investigate the correlation between glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c)level and macular fovea retinal thickness after cataract surgery in diabetic patients.

METHODS: By a randomized sampling and retrospective study, from September 2013 to June 2016, a total of 119 cases(119 eyes)of diabetic retinopathy in our hospital were selected and divided into low HbA1c group(HbA1c≤7.0%)of 60 cases(60 eyes)and high HbA1c group(7.0%RESULTS: At preoperative 1d, HbA1c in the high HbA1c group and the low HbA1c group were 8.29%±2.19% and 5.38%±1.49% respectively, and the differences between two groups were statistically significant(P<0.05); macular foveal retinal thickness in the 5 regions of high HbA1c group were significantly higher than that in the low HbA1c group(P<0.05). At postoperative 7d of macular fovea retinal thickness in the 5 regions of the two groups was higher than that at postoperative 1d(P<0.05), and the high HbA1c group was also significantly higher than that of the low HbA1c group(P<0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that preoperative 1d HbA1c were significant positive correlation with preoperative 1d, postoperative 7d of macular foveal retinal thickness in 5 regions(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: HbA1c levels in diabetic patients are significantly correlated with preoperative and postoperative macular foveal retinal thickness. It has important clinical significance for monitoring the occurrence and development of macular edema after cataract surgery.