The impact of cataract surgery on vision-related quality of life for bilateral cataract patients in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: a prospective study.
BACKGROUND
To determine the impact of cataract surgery on vision-related quality of life (VRQOL) and examine the association between objective visual measures and change in VRQOL after surgery among bilateral cataract patients in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.


METHODS
A cohort of older patients with bilateral cataract was assessed one week before and one to three months after first eye or both eye cataract surgery. Visual measures including visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and stereopsis were obtained. Vision-related quality of life was assessed using the NEI VFQ-25. Descriptive analyses and a generalized linear estimating equation (GEE) analysis were undertaken to measure change in VRQOL after surgery.


RESULTS
Four hundred and thirteen patients were assessed before cataract surgery and 247 completed the follow-up assessment one to three months after first or both eye cataract surgery. Overall, VRQOL significantly improved after cataract surgery (p < 0.001) particularly after both eye surgeries. Binocular contrast sensitivity (p < 0.001) and stereopsis (p < 0.001) were also associated with change in VRQOL after cataract surgery. Visual acuity was not associated with VRQOL.


CONCLUSIONS
Cataract surgery significantly improved VRQOL among bilateral cataract patients in Vietnam. Contrast sensitivity as well as stereopsis, rather than visual acuity significantly affected VRQOL after cataract surgery.
Kien Gia
KG
To
Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre (C-MARC), Curtin University, Perth, Australia. l.meuleners@curtin.edu.au.
Lynn B
LB
Meuleners
Michelle L
ML
Fraser
Dung Van
DV
Do
Dat Van
DV
Duong
Van-Anh Ngoc
VA
Huynh
Quyen Gia
QG
To
Tien Duy
TD
Phi
Hoang Huy
HH
Tran
Nguyen Do
ND
Nguyen
D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology; D014787:Vision Tests; D014792:Visual Acuity