Impact of cataract surgery on visual impairment in elderly adults
Keywords:
cataract surgery, elderly adults, visual acuity, visual impairmentAbstract
Introduction: Currently, the only growing age group in Cuba is older adults, especially those aged 80 and over, which will increase visual disability caused by senile cataracts.
Objective: To determine the impact of cataract surgery on the first eye on visual disability in elderly patients.
Methods: A prospective, observational, comparative, longitudinal study was conducted in elderly adults who underwent cataract surgery in the first eye at the Cuban Institute of Ophthalmology "Ramón Pando Ferrer", during the years 2018 and 2023. Epidemiological and clinical variables prior to surgery were analyzed, as well as visual function and the degree of visual impairment before and after the surgery.
Results: The average age of the 102 long-lived patients (65 octogenarians and 37 nonagenarians) was 87.11 years, with a predominance of female patients (65.69%). Phacoemulsification was the most commonly used surgical technique in octogenarians (56.92%), while in nonagenarians it was manual small-incision cataract surgery (67.57%). Intraoperative complications were recorded in 7.84% and postoperative complications in 22.55% of cases. Visual acuity showed significant postoperative gains, which were greater in octogenarian patients. Visual impairment decreased significantly in the postoperative period, although the decrease was more evident in the octogenarians and in the best corrected visual impairment.
Conclusion: Cataract surgery in the first eye positively impacts visual impairment in long-lived older adults.
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References
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Copyright (c) 2025 Yoriel Cuan Aguilar, Iraisi Francisca Hormigó Puertas, Eric Montero Díaz, Judith Álvarez Martínez, Eneida de la Caridad Pérez Candelaria, Ariadna Corral Martín
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