Outcomes of Cataract Surgery – What are we Measuring?
Barbara Haynes, GradDip (Hlth Rsrch Meth)DOBA
Linda Santamaria, MAppSc DipAppSc(Orth)DOBA
Alison Pitt, MEd DBO(T)
As the criteria for assessing the need for cataract surgery is moving away from the clinically based measurement of visual acuity to a subjective assessment of visual impairment by the patient, the same cannot be said for the outcome of cataract surgery. Outcomes are still assessed by complication rates and visual acuity. This paper aims to measure the outcome of cataract surgery using the same criteria that is used to judge the timing cataract surgery that is impairment of visual functioning. One hundred patients booked for first eye cataract surgery at the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital were interviewed using the VF14 questionnaire to assess functional impairment. Visual acuity was taken from the patients’ records and patients were asked about their genera satisfaction with their vision. Seventy four of these patients were followed post-operatively. Results show 90% of patients had an improvement in visual acuity, 80% had improved visual functioning as measured by the VF14 and 76% were more satisfied with their vision post-operatively. This study shows that the success rate of cataract surgery depends upon the outcome measure being used.