Cataract surgery and the elderly This patient group present a number of specific challenges when it comes to cataract surgery. Due to their age they often have other eye-related illnesses and medical conditions that could infl uence the outcome of surgery.
Age as a risk factor As the demand for cataract surgery increases, it has become clear more information is required to help refi ne future health policy. Interest in incorporating patient-derived, subjective measures of quality of life, satisfaction with health and functional status are increasing — and it has been recognised that patients’ self-assessed visual ability before and after surgery is a better measure of the surgical result than visual acuity alone. The evidence on whether older age is a signifi cant predictor of worse visual acuity outcome or not is, at present, conflicting. Lundström et al found that age as a single variable was not associated with a worse outcome when data was adjusted for the higher incidence of ocular comorbidity in the elderly. Norregaard et al14 have, conversely, reported the opposite. Despite this, however, it is clear that cataract surgery improves vision and patient satisfaction in the elderly age group. Surgery is benefi cial, even when life expectancy is taken into account.
Cataract surgery and AMD Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common irreversible cause of visual loss within the developed world16, so it is little surprise to note an increase in co-morbidity in elderly patients presenting with cataract. The frequency of AMD in a European survey of patients undergoing cataract surgery was found to be 13.7 per cent17. This percentage is likely to rise in the future as the numbers of elderly patients increases. The question arises as to whether the cause of reduced visual acuity is due to cataract, AMD or a mixture of both and whether cataract surgery in these cases is benefi cial. There are few practical tools available in the clinic to help predict the likely benefi t of cataract surgery among individuals with these conditions preoperatively. However, there is evidence to show that good postoperative visual acuity is achievable in patients with early changes of AMD18 and signifi cant benefi ts from surgery in terms of visual
acuity and quality of life is possible in moderate cases19. It is, therefore, vital that a full and frank discussion is undertaken, highlighting realistic aims and expectations from surgery. From published reports, we know that approximately two-thirds of patients with signifi cant AMD are satisfi ed with their vision following surgery20. Although the prognosis may be more guarded in these situations, surgery should certainly be considered for most cases with moderate cataract. A question that still remains to be answered satisfactorily among this group is whether or not cataract surgery has a detrimental effect on the natural history of AMD. It has been postulated that the changes ageing causes in the natural lens may, in fact, offer protection to the macula and by its removal the macula then becomes exposed to potentially damaging radiation at the blue/violet end of the spectrum.
that cataract surgery on the second eye is benefi cial if cataract is present. Patients who undergo surgery to both eyes demonstrate signifi cantly greater improvement in functional impairment in visually demanding activities of daily living. They gain increased satisfaction with vision and signifi cantly less self-reported trouble with their vision than patients who underwent cataract surgery in only one eye. This improvement associated with surgery in the second eye was also greatest in older patients. The recommendation for cataract surgery in the second eye ought to be the same as that for cataract surgery in the fi rst eye — namely, impairment in the patient’s ability to function in everyday life that is thought to be related to cataract and is of concern to the patient22.
Recent public and political concern has centred on prolonged waiting times for surgery. A recent study has shown that in the elderly population, patients waiting an average of nine months for surgery demonstrated no signifi cant increase in visual symptoms or decrease in cognitive function during this period23.
Conclusion Cataract surgery has seen great advances, bringing real benefits to many patients. Surgery is now more convenient for patients, being performed as an outpatient procedure under local anaesthesia for the majority of cases. A rapid postoperative recovery means that patients are not unduly inconvenienced and should be able to return to their daily routine quickly. The recent increase in capacity for surgery in the UK and a waiting time for surgery that is now less than 13 weeks means many more people are benefi ting from this procedure and the improvement in their quality of life in the process is a real plus to patients. Surely this counts as one of the most signifi cant healthcare success stories of recent times.