title: Visual outcome of cataract surgery in University College Hospital, Ibadan Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cataract is a leading cause of avoidable blindness, while cataract surgery is the commonest major surgical procedure worldwide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the visual outcome and causes of poor vision in patients who had cataract extraction at a major hospital in Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of the case notes of patients who had cataract extraction in the Eye Clinic of University College Hospital, Ibadan between July and Dec. 2004 was done. The visual outcome was analyzed using the WHO categorization of visual outcome and those with poor visual outcome evaluated for the cause of such poor outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-seven (40.2%) of the eyes had good outcome before refraction and the number increased to 80 (67.8%) after correcting for postoperative refractive error. The highest single cause of poor visual outcome was uncorrected refractive error, 32 (47%) eyes. Other causes included posterior capsule opacification 7 (18.4%) eyes, preexisting ocular co-morbidity such as glaucoma, optic atrophy and maculopathy 6 (15.9%) eyes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review showed that uncorrected refractive error and posterior capsular opacification were the major causes of poor visual outcome after cataract surgery. Preoperative biometry for all patients, meticulous intra operative cortical clean up, adoption of the cataract surgery outcome tally sheet and better patient selection will help improve the outcome of our cataract surgeries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University College Hospital Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Ashaye
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Komolafe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001284:Atrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D012030:Refractive Errors; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014792:Visual Acuity