Objective:

Evaluate the visual quality and quality of life of patients undergoing bilateral simultaneous phacoemulsification cataract surgery or sequential bilateral phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation.

Methods:

A longitudinal study was conducted of 762 patients aged over 50 years undergoing either type of surgery at Ramón Pando Ferrer Cuban Institute of Ophthalmology from 2014 to 2019. Variation in visual function and quality of life was evaluated with the Visual Function Index (VF-14) questionnaire before surgery and after one month.

Results:

In both groups, age ranged between 61 to 80 years. More than 75 % of the patients were women. Comparison of refraction variables and quality of life with the Visual Function Index (VF-14) revealed significant differences between the preoperative and the postoperative periods for both groups (p< 0.001), as well as evident favorable postsurgical results. In the preoperative period more than 80 % of the corrected visual acuity values were smaller than 0.7, with improvement in the postoperative period in more than 80 % between 0.8 and the vision unit as measured with the Snellen chart. With respect to quality of life, 65 % of the patients reported bad quality in the preoperative period, which improved to very good quality in 80 % of them after surgery.

Conclusions:

Patients undergoing bilateral simultaneous phacoemulsification cataract surgery show evidence of improved postoperative visual acuity, functionality and quality of life, making possible their early reincorporation to their social and work activities.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Español     · Español ( pdf )