Assessment of visual outcomes of cataract surgery in Tujia nationality in Xianfeng County, China.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the visual outcome and factors influencing visual outcome of manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) in the rural area in the Xianfeng County.


METHODS
Eighty-two eyes of 82 patients who underwent cataract surgery performed by using MSICS technique were identified. Data collected included each patient's age, gender, the level of education. Uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity (UDVA and CDVA) at presentation and at 1, 6, 8wk postoperatively, pre-existing eye disease, operative findings and complications, the risk factors were evaluated.


RESULTS
In 82 patients, the average age was 69.6±0.6y, illiterate were 52 (63.4%). Of 82 eyes, pseudophakia was present in 77 eyes (93.9%). At 1wk postoperatively, 47 eyes (57.3%) had the UDVA of ≥6/18, and 52 eyes (63.4%) had the CDVA of ≥6/18. At 6 to 8wk postoperatively, 50 eyes (61.0%) had UDVA of ≥6/18, and 57 eyes (69.5%) had the CDVA of ≥6/18. Postoperative visual status was significantly related to the co-morbidities, such as corneal pathology, glaucoma (P<0.001). Operative complications, such as posterior capsule opacity and cystoid macular edema were main operative cause for the poor visual outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
MSICS provides a good visual recovery in our study but the vision outcome did not fulfill the standards proposed by WHO, which highlights the need for an improvement in local socioeconomic understanding, population education and surgery quality.
Eye Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China.
Jing
J
Yuan
Department of Ophthalmology, Xianfeng County Renmin Hospital, Xianfeng 445600, Hubei Province, China.
Xia
X
Wang
Department of Ophthalmology, Xianfeng County Renmin Hospital, Xianfeng 445600, Hubei Province, China.
Li-Qin
LQ
Yang
Eye Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China.
Yi-Qiao
YQ
Xing
Eye Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China.
Yan-Ning
YN
Yang
cataract surgery; co-morbidities; manual small incision cataract surgery; operative complications; visual outcome