title: Recovery of visual and functional disability following cataract surgery in older people: Sunderland Cataract Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine changes in visual, psychological, and functional disability in older people waiting for cataract extraction and 6 months after surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-based study in Northeast England.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 92 patients (mean age 78.1 years +/- 6.5 [SD], 79% female) with age-related cataract. Questionnaires were administered at time of listing for cataract extraction, 2 weeks preoperatively, and 2 and 6 months after surgery to assess visual symptoms and function, anxiety and depression, perceived health status, cognition, and activities of daily living.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean waiting time was 265 +/- 64.4 days. Forty-six patients had first-eye surgery, 39 had second-eye surgery, and 7 had sequential-eye surgery (both eyes operated on during follow-up). During the waiting period, there were no significant changes in visual symptoms, cognition, or functional abilities. However, perceived health status, anxiety, and depression improved significantly during this time. For first- and second-eye patients, surgery resulted in significant improvements in all questionnaire scores, except activities of daily living.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite waiting 9 months for cataract surgery, patients did not decline in visual symptoms, social functioning, or cognition. In first- and second-eye patients, successful cataract extraction resulted in significant gains in visual function, cognition, and emotional and general well-being. The benefits of cataract surgery in older people extended beyond simple measures of visual acuity.
authors.affiliation: School of Clinical Medical Sciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. chris.gray@chs.northy.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Gulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karimova
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hildreth
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crabtree
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Janice E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: O'connell
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D014850:Waiting Lists