Background Cystoid macular edema (CME) following uneventful small incision cataract surgery is a well-known entity. The aim of present study was to assess the risk factors for CME following cataract surgery. Methods The present hospital based observational study was conducted at department of ophthalmology of a tertiary care hospital among 100 patients diagnosed of cataract who underwent surgery during the study period of one year. OCT images were used to measure CME. Measurement was done pre-operatively and first, sixth and 12th week post follow up.Results The mean age of patients was 60.45±21.03 years. The number of female patients (60) was higher than male patients (40). The pre operative mean visual acuity was found to be 0.06 ± 0.03, whereas the post operative mean BCVA was found to be 0.66 ± 0.15 at the first week, 0.68 ± 0.18 at the sixth week, 0.69 ± 0.16 at the 12th week follow up. The average thickness of the macular edema before surgery was compared to the average thickness after 1 week, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after surgery using a paired t-test. The results showed a statistically significant P value (<0.001).ConclusionEven after a straightforward cataract surgery, there is a slight but detectable increase in the thickness of the macula, which is not clinically significant. The highest increase was found 6 weeks following the procedure, and it returned to almost normal levels within 3 months. The comparison of central macular thickness before and after the operation, namely during the first week, sixth week, and 12th week, indicates a strong association.