Visual quality in bilateral crystalline lens surgery by phacoemulsification

Abstract

Objective: Analyze postoperative recovery and visual quality in bilateral crystalline lens surgery by phacoemulsification.
Methods: An analytical prospective study was conducted of a case series of 40 bilateral cataract patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral crystalline lens surgery at the Center for Ocular Microsurgery of Ramón Pando Ferrer Cuban Institute of Ophthalmology from November 2018 to March 2020. The variables analyzed were age, sex, nuclear hardness by LOCS III, best visual acuity with and without correction, induced medial astigmatism, color vision, contrast sensitivity, reading speed and quality of life by the VF-14 survey. Percentages and absolute numbers were used to summarize qualitative variables, whereas mean and standard deviation were used for quantitative variables, with a 95% confidence interval.
Results: Female sex prevailed with 65%; mean age was 69.1 ± 8.1 years. Hardness was NO3 in 55.11% of the patients examined. Mean best visual acuity without correction improved to 0.89 ± 0.25; best corrected visual acuity improved to 0.96 ± 0.03; the remaining variables studied showed significant improvement.
Conclusion: Simultaneous personalized bilateral crystalline lens surgery significantly contributes to visual improvement both quantitatively and qualitatively, making it possible for patients to recover their quality of life.

Key words: Cataract; simultaneous bilateral surgery; visual quality; quality of life.