Cataract surgery and quality of life in patients with age related macular degeneration
Open Access
- 1 December 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by BMJ in British Journal of Ophthalmology
- Vol. 86 (12), 1330-1335
- https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.86.12.1330
Abstract
Background: The coexistence of cataract and age related macular degeneration (AMD) is not unusual, especially in the very elderly. The outcome of cataract surgery in these cases depends on the effect of AMD on vision. In this study the authors have compared the outcome of cataract patients with AMD to that of cataract patients with no vision threatening ocular comorbidity, and analysed possible predictors of good or poor outcome. Methods: An observational prospective study on consecutive cases operated for cataract during 1 month at six surgical departments affiliated to the Swedish National Cataract Register (NCR). Data were collected according to the protocol of NCR and subjects completed the Catquest questionnaire before and 6 months after surgery. 90 subjects with AMD were compared to 335 subjects with no sight threatening ocular comorbidity. Results: Difficulties in performing various daily life activities improved significantly for AMD subjects after surgery (p<0.001, Wilcoxon signed rank test). Satisfaction with vision also improved significantly after surgery (p<0.001, Wilcoxon signed rank test). Activity level and independence were unchanged. Subjects with no ocular comorbidity had a still better outcome. The most important variable related to a good self assessed functional outcome was postoperative visual acuity irrespective of the presence of AMD. AMD subjects scheduled for second eye surgery and AMD subjects dissatisfied with their vision before surgery had a poorer outcome. Conclusion: Subjects with various stages of dry AMD and cataract improved their self assessed visual function and satisfaction with vision significantly after cataract extraction.Keywords
This publication has 22 references indexed in Scilit:
- Quality of life after first- and second-eye cataract surgeryJournal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, 2001
- 1998 European cataract outcome studyJournal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, 2001
- Effect of age on visual outcome following cataract extractionBritish Journal of Ophthalmology, 2000
- Is cataract surgery justified in patients with age related macular degeneration? A visual function and quality of life assessmentBritish Journal of Ophthalmology, 2000
- Cataract: how much surgery do we have to do?British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2000
- The need for cataract surgery: projections based on lens opacity, visual acuity, and personal concernBritish Journal of Ophthalmology, 1999
- Do patients with age related maculopathy and cataract benefit from cataract surgery?British Journal of Ophthalmology, 1998
- Development of exudative age-related macular degeneration after cataract surgeryEye, 1997
- Changing threshold for cataract surgery in Denmark between 1980 and 1992Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica, 1996
- Preoperative Functional Expectations and Postoperative Outcomes Among Patients Undergoing First Eye Cataract SurgeryAmerican Journal of Ophthalmology, 1995