Abstract
Purpose: :
To measure the relevance of cataract surgery complications as a cause of visual impairment in a 50-year-old or older population in Campinas, Brazil.
Methods: :
A brief assessment of cataract surgery services was conducted using random cluster sampling, with the sample composed of 60 clusters of 40 people aged 50 years or older. The RACSS (Rapid Assessment Cataract Surgical Services) method was followed.
Results: :
Of the selected sample of 2,400 subjects, 92.67% were examined. Seventy-five (3.37%) persons presented bilateral visual impairment (visual acuity < 6/60 in the better eye with available correction) and 314 (7.06%) eyes were blind. Three hundred fifty-two eyes had undergone cataract surgery. Of these, 328 eyes (93.2%) had had surgery with placement of an intraocular lens. The causes of visual impairment after surgery were concurrent disease (56%), surgical complications (28.8%) and refractive errors (15.2%). Cataract surgery complications were the 5th most important cause of visual impairment (4% of persons and 6.1% of eyes with visual impairment). The other main causes were cataract, posterior segment disorders, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
Conclusions: :
Cataract surgery complications are a major cause of visual impairment in this population. Their prevention and treatment must be part of public health care policies.
Keywords: cataract • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: health care delivery/economics/manpower