J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2016 Feb;57(2):214-220. 10.3341/jkos.2016.57.2.214.

Evaluation of Visual Outcome after Cataract Surgery in Patients Aged 85 Years or Older

• Ji MJ
• Kim MS
• Lee SJ
• Han SB

• KMID: 2213661
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2016.57.2.214

Abstract

PURPOSE
To compare the visual outcome after cataract surgery in patients 85 years of age or older with those in other age groups.
METHODS
This retrospective study included 313 eyes of 204 patients who underwent cataract surgery from April 2014 to March 2015 at Kangwon National University Hospital and were followed up or 3 months or longer. The patients were divided into groups A (86 eyes of 53 patients between 55 and 69 years of age), B (85 eyes of 53 patients between 70 and 84 years of age), and C (143 eyes of 98 patients 85 years of age or older), and the medical records of the patients were reviewed and analyzed.
RESULTS
The postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved in 95% of group A patients, 87% of group B, and 81% of group C. When compared with the log MAR BCVA before and after surgery, the visual acuity after cataract surgery was improved effectively from 0.40 to 0.06 in group A, from 0.50 to 0.16 in group B, and from 0.75 to 0.31 in group C (p < 0.001). In group C, preoperative and postoperative BCVAs were significantly worse than in other groups (p < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively) and the ratio of patients with vision improvement and patients with BCVA of 20/40 or better was significantly lower than in the other groups (p = 0.009 and < 0.001, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
The ratio of visual acuity improvement was decreased among the patients over 85 years of age. Pre and postoperative visual acuities in group C were observed worse than in other groups. Additionally, the postoperative visual acuity was low. However, average visual acuity improved in 81% of patients. Therefore, cataract surgery should be strongly recommended for very old patients.

Keyword

Cataract surgery; Elderly patients; Old age; Visual outcome

MeSH Terms

Cataract*
Gangwon-do
Humans
Medical Records
Retrospective Studies
Visual Acuity

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