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Longitudinal visual outcome 10 years after cataract surgery
Author(s) -
MöNESTAM EI,
LUNDQVIST B
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2010.432.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cataract surgery , cohort , prospective cohort study , surgery , comorbidity , cohort study , ophthalmology
Purpose This prospective, population‐based cohort study reports the longitudinal visual functional outcome of cataract surgery on a long‐term basis. Methods 810 participants underwent cataract surgery during a 1‐year period. Before surgery, a few months after surgery, and 5 and 10 years after surgery, age and comorbidity were recorded, and BCVA was measured. At all occasions the patients also answered the same visual functional questionnaire (VF‐14). Ten years after surgery 335 (85% of survivors) participated with the questionnaire of whom 289 (73% of survivors) were re‐examined. Results Ten years after surgery 76% of the patients examined had a BCVA of 20/40 or better, and 65% had a BCVA of 20/30 or better, which is a decline from 88% and 84% after surgery, respectively. Regarding each operated eye, 50% had unchanged or better VA, and an additional 19% had only lost less than 0.1 logMAR units, compared with postoperatively. Forty‐six patients (16%) had a decline in BCVA of more than 0.3 logMar units. The median VF‐14‐total score was 100 after surgery, declining to 96.7 5 years after surgery, and to 96.4 10 years after surgery. Ten years after surgery 49% of the patients had unchanged or better subjective visual function and 77% had less than 10 points in decline compared with preoperatively. Nine percent (31 of 335 patients) had a worsening of VF‐14 total score of 40 points or more. In this group age‐related macular degeneration (ARM) was the most common cause followed by bullous keratopathy. Conclusion Longitudinal follow‐up of this older population confirms that subjective and objective visual function 10 years after cataract surgery remains stable in most surviving patients. Cataract surgery offers good long‐term visual rehabilitation for cataract.