Question:
I am attempting to assist a 58-year old Micronesian woman who has diabetes and severe cataracts. I believe that there are requirements that she control her blood sugar to a certain level before having cataracts removed. Is this generic information correct? What would be the blood sugar level we would need to achieve.? How long would we have to maintain this level?

Answer:
Blood sugar is one of those things that we like to make as good as we can prior to any elective surgery.  Diabetics with significantly elevated blood sugars have a more difficult time healing and have a greater potential for infection.  Ideally, the blood sugar should be at its best controlled level for about a month prior to cataract surgery.  I have seen cataract surgery performed with a blood sugar as high as 200 when we knew that the primary care doctor just can't get it to go any lower, but this is not the optimal situation.

Answered by: Wayne Bizer, MD

Categories: Eye Conditions, cataract

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