Outcome of cataract surgery considering the preoperative situation: a study of possible predictors of the functional outcome.

Aim: To analyse possible predictors of the self assessed functional outcome of a cataract extraction.

Methods: The patients' self assessed visual function was studied by use of a questionnaire, the "Catquest", before and 6 months after surgery. All patients (n=1933, mean age 75.5 years, 66.8% women) who were undergoing cataract surgery in March 1995, in 35 different departments of ophthalmology participating in the National Swedish Cataract Register, were included in the study. A routine ophthalmic examination was performed before and after surgery. The following preoperative variables were studied with regard to a possible relation to the outcome: age, sex, ocular comorbidity, best corrected preoperative vision (better eye), first or second eye surgery, other diseases with a need for long term medication, need for home help, need for subsidised travel by taxi.

Results: Ocular comorbidity was strongly related to a "no benefit" outcome after surgery (p= 0.005). Second eye surgery and young age was related to a "very good benefit" outcome after surgery (p=0.0001 and p<0.0001 respectively).

Conclusions: Patients with an ocular comorbidity in the eye undergoing a cataract extraction were characterised by a significantly higher frequency of deteriorated self assessed visual function after surgery than patients with no ocular comorbidity. The highest degree of improvement was most frequently found in younger patients undergoing second eye surgery.