Ophthalmology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ophthalmology, including details on eye surgery, myopia, cataracts.

Benefit to patients of bilateral same-day cataract extraction: Randomized clinical study.

Lundström M, Albrecht S, Nilsson M, Aström B

Department of Ophthalmology, Blekinge Hospital, Karlskrona, Sweden. mats.lundstrom@ltbleking.se

PURPOSE: To compare patients' self-assessed visual function after bilateral surgery performed on the same day with visual function after surgery in 1 eye at a time. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Blekinge Hospital, Karlskrona, Sweden. METHODS: Patients with bilateral cataract were assigned randomly to 2 groups, patients having bilateral surgery on the same day and patients with 2 surgeries done 2 months apart. Both groups were examined before and 2 months and 4 months after surgery. All patients completed the Catquest questionnaire at each ophthalmic examination. RESULTS: Until both eyes were operated on, patients having surgery in 1 eye had significantly more difficulties performing daily life activities (P<.001) and a worse binocular contrast sensitivity (P<.01) than patients who had bilateral surgery on the same day. Four months after surgery of both eyes in both groups, there was no difference in visual function. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral cataract surgery on the same day allowed rapid rehabilitation of the patient and helped avoid suboptimal visual function in daily life while waiting for second-eye surgery. However, there was no extra long-term benefit of self-assessed visual function compared with cataract surgery in 1 eye at a time.

Published 12 June 2006 in J Cataract Refract Surg, 32(5): 826-30.
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