PhD Conferral Mrs. Laura H.P. Wielders, MSc.

Keywords: cataracts, blindness, visual impairment, cataract surgery, macular oedema

“Prevention & Treatment of Cystoid Macular Edema after Cataract Surgery”

Cataracts are one of the most common cause of blindness and visual impairment worldwide. However, very few people in Europe will go blind due to cataracts. In order to prevent blindness and visual impairment, more than 550 patients undergo cataract surgery every weekday in the Netherlands. Of these patients, 3.4% experience impaired recovery due to an accumulation of fluid in the retina, called pseudo-cystoid macular oedema. In a European multi-centre study among 1,100 patients, we researched the most effective treatment method for preventing macular oedema after cataract surgery. The most important results of this ESCRS PREMED study are described in this dissertation.