Abstract: Objective To improve the perioperative symptoms in the elderly patients with diabetes undergoing phacoemulsification cataract surgery by establishing and carrying out clinical pathway of traditional Chinese medicine nursing. Methods A total of 70 elderly patients with diabetes undergoing phacoemulsification cataract surgery were divided into the study group and the control group, with 35 cases in each group. The control group received routine perioperative nursing, while the study group received pathway of traditional Chinese medicine nursing on the basis of routine perioperative nursing. The clinical data of hospitalization days, plasma glucose, sight, postoperative complications, perioperative satisfaction and comfort were collected and compared between the two groups, and the effects of clinical pathway of traditional Chinese medicine nursing in improving the perioperative symptoms were analyzed. Results Compared with the control group, the sight showed no significant differences, and the level of postoperative plasma glucose and the incidence of complications were significantly lower, and the perioperative satisfaction and comfort were significantly higher in the study group (P＜0.05). Conclusions The clinical pathway of traditional Chinese medicine nursing is helpful to improve the perioperative symptoms and the patients’ satisfaction and comfort in the patients with diabetes undergoing phacoemulsification cataract surgery.

Key words: aged, diabetes, cataract surgery, clinical pathway of traditional Chinese medicine nursing