Determination of Visual Outcomes of Cataract Surgery among patients admitted to Eye Foundation Community Hospital in Nigeria

Aims: To determine the visual outcome of cataract surgeries postoperatively at first day, one and three months.

Background: Postoperative visual outcome is one of the key factors that develops satisfied patients, build confidence and for increasing the demand for cataract surgeries in the community.

Study Design: This was a retrospective, case series study at Eye Foundation Community Hospital, Ilese-Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun state of Nigeria for a 3-month duration from June 1st 2019 to August 31st 2019.

Methodology: All patients 18 years and above operated for cataract surgery without comorbidity were included in the study. Type of surgery done were manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) and phacoemulsification. Patient data were entered into excel spread sheet created for the study. From where it was cleaned up and exported in to statistical package for social sciences 20. Visual outcome was assessed on the first day, first month and at third month post operatively. Snellen visual acuity was converted to log MAR. P value = 0.05 is determined as statistically significant. Visual outcome was assessed on the first day, first month and at third month post operatively. Snellen visual acuity was converted to log MAR. P value = 0.05 is determined as statistically significant.

Results: Two hundred and fifty (250) patients or eyes were analysed in this study. Two hundred and twenty patients (88%) had MSICS, 30 (12%) had phacoemulsification. Preoperatively, majority (150, 60%) presented with visual acuity less than 3/60 followed by patients with visual acuity between 6/18 to 6/60 (76, 30.4%). Nineteen patients (7.6%) had visual acuity of 6/18 or better. Mean preoperative log MAR was 1.6 ± 0.8 (equivalent to count finger). 3-month post op, two hundred and fourteen (85.6%) had uncorrected visual acuity of 6/18 or better while 231 patients (92.4%) had best corrected (with pinhole) visual acuity of 6/18 or better. (P=0.004 and 0.038 respectively).

Conclusion: There is an appreciable improvement in the visual outcome following cataract surgery. It is however important to continuously audit cataract surgical outcome and train young ophthalmologist to be competent in performing excellent cataract surgeries with brilliant visualoutcomes according to WHO recommendation.