Objective:

To evaluate the clinical-surgical outcomes of cataract surgery of the first eye and its effect on quality of life in long-lived patients.

Methods:

A prospective, longitudinal, case series type investigation was performed in patients 80 years of age and older (long-lived) who underwent first eye cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation. Visual outcomes and self-perceived quality of life before and after surgery were compared. Ocular causes were identified in cases with postoperative visual impairment.

Results:

We studied 88 patients with an average age of 87.97 years. Female patients predominated (63.63 %), with white skin color (75 %), with arterial hypertension (61.36 %) and diabetes mellitus (23.86 %). 18,18 % had an ocular history of glaucoma. Phacoemulsification was used as a surgical technique in 52.27 %. Intraoperative flaccid iris syndrome and ocular hypertension were the most frequent intraoperative complications. Corneal edema predominated as a postoperative complication (10.2 %). Visual function (uncorrected visual acuity and best corrected visual acuity) as well as self-perceived quality of life improved significantly postoperatively (p < 0.001). Age-related macular degeneration and epiretinal membrane were the main causes, in that order, of postoperative visual impairment.

Conclusions:

First eye cataract surgery improves visual function and self-perceived quality of life in long-lived patients. Age-related macular degeneration is the main cause of postoperative visual impairment in these patients.

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