ABSTRACT O%)9tFT
Purpose: To quantify the prevalence of cataract, the outcomes yNT2kB'
of cataract surgery and the factors related to T,IV)aq
unoperated cataract in Australia. -s)2b
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Methods: Participants were recruited from the Visual ,Utw!]
Impairment Project: a cluster, stratified sample of more than .*f;v4!
5000 Victorians aged 40 years and over. At examination C=m Y
sites interviews, clinical examinations and lens photography K;97/"
were performed. Cataract was defined in participants who *.+>
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had: had previous cataract surgery, cortical cataract greater
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than 4/16, nuclear greater than Wilmer standard 2, or FvNO*'xP
posterior subcapsular greater than 1 mm2.
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Results: The participant group comprised 3271 Melbourne (gf\VYM-7
residents, 403 Melbourne nursing home residents and 1473 ?dmMGm0T9
rural residents.The weighted rate of any cataract in Victoria I[`2MKh
was 21.5%. The overall weighted rate of prior cataract I L=v[)en4
surgery was 3.79%. Two hundred and forty-nine eyes had xWwPrd
had prior cataract surgery. Of these 249 procedures, 49 2at?9{b
(20%) were aphakic, 6 (2.4%) had anterior chamber {x4[Bx1
intraocular lenses and 194 (78%) had posterior chamber VoyH:
intraocular lenses.Two hundred and eleven of these operated vX/A9Qi,U.
eyes (85%) had best-corrected visual acuity of 6/12 or ygW@[^g
better, the legal requirement for a driver’s license.Twentyseven q5!l(QL.
(11%) had visual acuity of less than 6/18 (moderate F^NR qE
vision impairment). Complications of cataract surgery Fp6Y Y
caused reduced vision in four of the 27 eyes (15%), or 1.9% &0eB@8{N
of operated eyes. Three of these four eyes had undergone ?|7+cz$g
intracapsular cataract extraction and the fourth eye had an 5>@uEebkv]
opaque posterior capsule. No one had bilateral vision
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impairment as a result of cataract surgery. Surprisingly, no UjDF
particular demographic factors (such as age, gender, rural sBb.Y
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residence, occupation, employment status, health insurance DqMK[N,0
status, ethnicity) were related to the presence of unoperated @Y<tH,*
cataract. tvOAN|+F
Conclusions: Although the overall prevalence of cataract is .lBY"W&{
quite high, no particular subgroup is systematically underserviced v|I5Gz$qpa
in terms of cataract surgery. Overall, the results of bVeTseAG
cataract surgery are very good, with the majority of eyes &&}5>kg>d
achieving driving vision following cataract extraction. @,4%8E5
Key words: cataract extraction, health planning, health !"J#,e|
services accessibility, prevalence i"]8Zw_D
INTRODUCTION D w=Z_+J
Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and, in '98h<(@]
Australia, cataract extractions account for the majority of all ~Ex.Yp8.
ophthalmic procedures.1 Over the period 1985–94, the rate +qj*P9
of cataract surgery in Australia was twice as high as would be 1 j12Qn@]
expected from the growth in the elderly population.1 bjBeiKH
Although there have been a number of studies reporting paNw5]
-
the prevalence of cataract in various populations,2–6 there is %W4aKb?BT
little information about determinants of cataract surgery in `f+8WPJPZ
the population. A previous survey of Australian ophthalmologists
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showed that patient concern and lifestyle, rather cvUut^CdK
than visual acuity itself, are the primary factors for referral @ 9 {%Kn
for cataract surgery.7 This supports prior research which has l-S'ATZ0p
shown that visual acuity is not a strong predictor of need for Ok>(>K<r
cataract surgery.8,9 Elsewhere, socioeconomic status has l^!A
been shown to be related to cataract surgery rates.10 nF<y7XkO
To appropriately plan health care services, information is lP*
needed about the prevalence of age-related cataract in the >4/L-y+
community as well as the factors associated with cataract 9c6GYWIFt&
surgery. The purpose of this study is to quantify the prevalence V(2,\+ t
of any cataract in Australia, to describe the factors F@$RV_M
related to unoperated cataract in the community and to qo6LC >Qg
describe the visual outcomes of cataract surgery. n#>.\F
METHODS eOehgU5x
Study population abo>_"9-
Details about the study methodology for the Visual :4ja@~
Impairment Project have been published previously.11 "J
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Briefly, cluster sampling within three strata was employed to -R&E