Cataract surgery reduces subjective visual disability.

Purpose: The present study examines the impact of cataract on visual disability (VD) and how cataract surgery alters VD.

Methods: Fifty-six patients were assessed pre- and at 3 months post cataract surgery. Cataract severity was measured with the Lens Opacities Classification System III (LOCS III). Visual disability was assessed by questionnaire. The relationship between LOCS III scores and total VD score was examined with linear regression. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine whether the pre- and postoperative VD scores were different.

Results: The VD score was found to relate more closely to the LOCS III score in the least affected eye than in the most affected eye. The VD score is related to nuclear opacity (P = 0.01), and posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC; P = 0.0004), but not to cortical cataract (P = 0.51) (r2 = 0.43). The VD score is significantly greater before surgery (mean +/- SD) 1.81 +/- 0.67) than after (1.19 +/- 0.21; P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Nuclear and PSC cataracts cause more visual disability than cortical cataracts. Visual disability is significantly reduced by cataract surgery.