Visual prognosis of patients undergoing cataract extraction and its relationship with that of the contralateral eye

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study is to evaluate the visual prognosis according to the ocular morbidity of the fellow eye in a national university hospital located in rural area. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 390 eyes of 315 patients who had undergone cataract surgery. We assessed the change of postoperative visual acuity and the state of preoperative fellow eye. RESULTS: The age at cataract surgery was the highest in the sixties (29.2%) and seventies (27.7%). The patients older than 80 of age were 10.0%. Preoperative ocular co morbidities (23.3%) were diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, corneal opacity, uveitis, etc. Preoperatively, 91.3% of all cases had a visual acuity of 0.4 or lower, but 3 months after surgery, 72.1% of all had 0.5 or better. At postoperative 3 months, 27.9% showed visual acuity of 0.4 or less and the ocular co morbidities were found in 67.0%. Preoperative visual acuity of less than 0.1 in the fellow eye was 10.2%. Preoperatively, 97.5% of these cases had a visual acuity of 0.4 or lower, but only 40% had 0.5 or better postoperatively. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity were poor in patients whose preoperative visual acuity was less than 0.1 in the fellow eye. CONCLUSIONS: The age at cataract surgery was the highest in the sixties (29.2%) and seventies (27.7%). The patients older than 80 of age were 10.0%. Preoperative ocular co morbidities (23.3%) were diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, corneal opacity, uveitis, etc. Preoperatively, 91.3% of all cases had a visual acuity of 0.4 or lower, but 3 months after surgery, 72.1% of all had 0.5 or better. At postoperative 3 months, 27.9% showed visual acuity of 0.4 or less and the ocular co morbidities were found in 67.0%. Preoperative visual acuity of less than 0.1 in the fellow eye was 10.2%. Preoperatively, 97.5% of these cases had a visual acuity of 0.4 or lower, but only 40% had 0.5 or better postoperatively. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity were poor in patients whose preoperative visual acuity was less than 0.1 in the fellow eye.