This study examines the impact of cataract on visual disability (VD) and how cataract surgery alters VD. 56 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 post-operative VD scores were different.

Visual disability score relates more closely to LOCS III score in the least affected eye than the most affected eye. Visual disability 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). Visual disability score is significantly more before surgery (mean 1.81, SD 0.67) than after (mean 1.19, SD 0.21) (p<0.001). Nuclear and PSC cataracts cause more visual disability than cortical cataracts. Visual disability is significantly reduced by cataract surgery.

Total visual disability score for pre- and postoperative in boxplot.

Index of Papers