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Results of cataract surgery in the very elderly population

Authors Michalska-Małecka K, Nowak M, Gościniewicz P, Karpe J, Słowińska-Łożyńska L, Łypaczewska A, Romaniuk D

Received 5 March 2013

Accepted for publication 9 April 2013

Published 7 August 2013 Volume 2013:8 Pages 1041—1046

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S44834

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 3



Katarzyna Michalska-Małecka,1 Mariusz Nowak,2 Piotr Gościniewicz,1 Jacek Karpe,3 Ludmiła Słowińska-Łożyńska,4 Agnieszka Łypaczewska,1 Dorota Romaniuk1

1Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital No 5, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, 2Pathophysiology Division, Department of Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, Medical University of Silesia, Zabrze, 3Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Medical University of Silesia, Zabrze, 4Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Silesia, Poland

Aim: The aim of our study was to retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation (IOL) for patients aged 90 years or older, whom we define as “very elderly.”
Methods: The study involved a total number of 122 patients (122 eyes) with senile cataracts. The mean age of patients was 91.2 ± 2.3 years (range 90–100 years old). Phacoemulsification (phaco) was done on 113 of 122 eyes, and 9 of 122 eyes had extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE). Postoperative visual acuity and intraocular pressure (IOP) were analyzed on the first postoperative day, 3 months after surgery, and 6 months after surgery.
Results: Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved in 100 of 122 eyes (82.0%). BCVA remained the same in 20 of 122 eyes (16.4%) and decreased in 2 of 122 eyes (1.6%), mainly because of coexisting age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The BCVA 3 months after surgery was ≥0.8 in 23 of 122 eyes (18.9%), between 0.5 and 0.7 in 28 of 122 eyes (22.3%), and between 0.2 and 0.4 in 33 of 122 eyes (27.1%). We found significant implications of cataract surgery on decreasing IOP in the studied group of patients suffering from glaucoma compared to the patients without glaucoma.
Conclusion: Advanced age is not a contraindication for cataract surgery. The results of the study showed that when systemic conditions are stable, both phaco and ECCE with IOL for very elderly patients are effective and safe.

Keywords: very elderly patients, cataract surgery, postoperative best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure

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