Visual Acuity, Quality of Life and Visual Function Outcomes after Cataract Surgery in Bali. (August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Farmer, Lachlan; Innes-Wong, Cecilia; Bergman-Hart, Caroline; Casson, Robert J.; Crompton, John
• Is Part Of: Ophthalmic epidemiology. Volume 22:Number 4(2015)
• Page Start: 274
• Page End: 282
• Publication Date: 2015-08
• Subjects: Blindness -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Eye -- Diseases -- Epidemiology -- Periodicals; Ophthalmology -- Periodicals; 614.5997
• DOI: 10.3109/09286586.2015.1008104
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0928-6586

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Purpose</italic>: To assess post-cataract surgery intermediate-term (>6 months) data of visual acuity (VA), surgical complications, refractive outcomes, quality of life (QOL) and visual function (VF) from a non-governmental organization program in Indonesia.</p> <p> <italic>Methods</italic>: Retrospective cohort study design. Participants were a selection of patients who underwent cataract surgery by the John Fawcett Foundation between 2006 and 2011, with at least 6 months follow-up. Patients underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations. QOL and VF questionnaires were administered.</p> <p> <italic>Results</italic>: From a total of 1557 invited to attend, 547 patients participated; 99.8% of eyes had presenting VA <6/60. At day 1 postoperatively, 52.1% of patients had a good outcome by World Health Organization criteria (unaided VA ≥ 6/18). Six months or later postoperatively, 85% of eyes had best-corrected VA ≥ 6/18 and 5.6% of eyes had best-corrected VA < 3/60. At final follow-up, mean postoperative spherical equivalent refraction was −2.35 diopters (standard deviation 1.75, <italic>n</italic> = 542). On a scale of 1–100, median converted values for QOL were 25.0 preoperatively and 74.0 postoperatively, a statistically significant improvement (<italic>p</italic> < 0.001). Of eyes with VA better than 3/60 on postoperative day 1, 5.7% (95% confidence interval 3.6–7.9%) became blind (VA < 3/60) at the 6-month or later time point.</p> <p> <italic>Conclusion</italic>: Cataract surgery in this population markedly improved QOL, despite a trend towards myopic refractive outcomes. These findings raise questions about biometric methodology, intraocular lens power calculations and refractive targets. Postoperative day 1 VA data may be a reasonable proxy of the intermediate-term rate of non-blind eyes.</p> </abstract>