title: Visual acuity in patients having cataract surgery by different techniques.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Question of different techniques of cataract surgery would offer different post-operative visual acuity (VA) has been asked.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the pre-and post-operative VA of cataract patients operated by different techniques as Extracapsular Cataract Extraction (ECCE), Phacoemulsification (PE), and Manual Phaco Fragmentation (MPF) and compare in different age groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  The post-operative visual acuity of cataract patients was collected from 72 hospitals in Bangkok and rural part of Thailand. Techniques of cataract surgery were recorded. The cases with pre-operative and intraoperative complication and cases operated without intraocular lens (IOLs) implantation were ruled out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VA of cataract patients post-operation was statistically significant better than pre-operation at p-value (less than 0.05) and the result persisted for every age group. Cataract patients operated by PE had better post-operative VA than patients operated by ECCE and MPF even if MPF had the best post-operative VA. This is because the total cases were less than the other procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to the nature of retrospective study, the cause of poor post-operative VA was due to astigmatism. The pre-operative astigmatism was not recorded thus preventing a complete analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Udornthanee Hospital, Muang District, Udornthanee, Thailand. supaluk95@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Supaluk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raiyawa
authors.forename: Watanee
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jenchitr
authors.forename: Chawewan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yenjitr
authors.forename: Mongkhol
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tapunya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D013785:Thailand; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity