Visual acuity improvement after phacoemulsification cataract surgery in patients aged 90years

BackgroundVisual acuity (VA) outcomes after phacoemulsification cataract surgery in the very elderly (90years) compared to those in younger patients remain unclear till date.MethodsWe retrospectively investigated 138 (group 1) and 152 (group 2) eyes in patients aged 90 and<80years, respectively, with senile cataracts who underwent phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation between 2014 and 2016. Four highly experienced ophthalmic surgeons performed the procedures. Intra- and post-operative complications were compared between the two groups. To investigate the effectiveness of cataract surgery in improving best-corrected VA (BCVA) at 1 and 3months postoperatively, multiple regression analysis was performed with variables of age, cataract grades, sex, and history of diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension.ResultsThe intra- and post-operative complication rates were similar between the two groups. After adjusting for the difference in cataract grades, multiple regression analysis indicated that BCVA improvement was equally favorable in both groups at 1 and 3months postoperatively but was less favorable in patients with a history of DM at 3months postoperatively (P=0.042).ConclusionPhacoemulsification in patients aged 90years improves VA as effectively and safely as it does in younger patients, at least when performed by experienced surgeons.