ABSTRACT
"'DPb%o Purpose: To quantify the prevalence of cataract, the outcomes
AIP0PJI3 of cataract surgery and the factors related to
=?CIC%6m unoperated cataract in Australia.
)E",)}Nh Methods: Participants were recruited from the Visual
W DnNVE Impairment Project: a cluster, stratified sample of more than
rE"FN~9P 5000 Victorians aged 40 years and over. At examination
]Y,V)41gCE sites interviews, clinical examinations and lens photography
yu#m6K were performed. Cataract was defined in participants who
K
z^.v` had: had previous cataract surgery, cortical cataract greater
A/ zAB3 than 4/16, nuclear greater than Wilmer standard 2, or
5bZ0}^FYF posterior subcapsular greater than 1 mm2.
rxxVLW Results: The participant group comprised 3271 Melbourne
r{~b4~kAf5 residents, 403 Melbourne nursing home residents and 1473
jz3f{~ rural residents.The weighted rate of any cataract in Victoria
pl}W|kW} was 21.5%. The overall weighted rate of prior cataract
P/S ,dhs( surgery was 3.79%. Two hundred and forty-nine eyes had
6=%\@ had prior cataract surgery. Of these 249 procedures, 49
UN<$F yb (20%) were aphakic, 6 (2.4%) had anterior chamber
_+}o/449 intraocular lenses and 194 (78%) had posterior chamber
!FK)iQy$0 intraocular lenses.Two hundred and eleven of these operated
E?&YcVA eyes (85%) had best-corrected visual acuity of 6/12 or
Nn0j}ZI)1 better, the legal requirement for a driver’s license.Twentyseven
=g%<xCp (11%) had visual acuity of less than 6/18 (moderate
AO-~dV vision impairment). Complications of cataract surgery
9qq6P! caused reduced vision in four of the 27 eyes (15%), or 1.9%
=BD|uIR of operated eyes. Three of these four eyes had undergone
(Ms0pm-#t intracapsular cataract extraction and the fourth eye had an
IUWJi\, opaque posterior capsule. No one had bilateral vision
5IgO4 <B impairment as a result of cataract surgery. Surprisingly, no
ocS}4.a@ particular demographic factors (such as age, gender, rural
\+
Es
e-la residence, occupation, employment status, health insurance
.5~3D97X& status, ethnicity) were related to the presence of unoperated
Lm^vS u cataract.
"-HWw?rx/ Conclusions: Although the overall prevalence of cataract is
p`"Ic2xPJ quite high, no particular subgroup is systematically underserviced
IUG}Q7w5 in terms of cataract surgery. Overall, the results of
*\0h^^|@ cataract surgery are very good, with the majority of eyes
"?_af achieving driving vision following cataract extraction.
Tj2pEOu Key words: cataract extraction, health planning, health
a!j{A?7Kw. services accessibility, prevalence
p
CeCR INTRODUCTION
X4k|k> Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and, in
YvUV9qps~ Australia, cataract extractions account for the majority of all
Q}^qu6 ophthalmic procedures.1 Over the period 1985–94, the rate
FbCuXS=+` of cataract surgery in Australia was twice as high as would be
7 $dibTER expected from the growth in the elderly population.1
e\ZV^h}TQ Although there have been a number of studies reporting
Gfepm$*% the prevalence of cataract in various populations,2–6 there is
a3[,3 little information about determinants of cataract surgery in
usU6, the population. A previous survey of Australian ophthalmologists
iML?`%/vN showed that patient concern and lifestyle, rather
B?d+^sz] than visual acuity itself, are the primary factors for referral
S O`b
+B for cataract surgery.7 This supports prior research which has
C)cuy7< shown that visual acuity is not a strong predictor of need for
,y)V5
c1 cataract surgery.8,9 Elsewhere, socioeconomic status has
K;R!>p}t been shown to be related to cataract surgery rates.10
cU "uKR To appropriately plan health care services, information is
%y+v0.aWH+ needed about the prevalence of age-related cataract in the
Nm#[ A4 community as well as the factors associated with cataract
ka$la;e3 surgery. The purpose of this study is to quantify the prevalence
qjN*oM, of any cataract in Australia, to describe the factors
?{1& J9H related to unoperated cataract in the community and to
C5TC@ w1* describe the visual outcomes of cataract surgery.
6"2IV METHODS
$F@ ,,* Study population
s[t?At-> Details about the study methodology for the Visual
^= qL[S6/M Impairment Project have been published previously.11
%\1W0%w Briefly, cluster sampling within three strata was employed to
,UxAHCR~9 recruit subjects aged 40 years and over to participate.
_"#n%@ Within the Melbourne Statistical Division, nine pairs of
N3\vd_D
( census collector districts were randomly selected. Fourteen
u y13SkW nursing homes within a 5 km radius of these nine test sites
NqN}] nu6 were randomly chosen to recruit nursing home residents.
CH0Nkf Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (2000) 28, 77–82
m :2A[H+ Original Article
Z1U@xQj Operated and unoperated cataract in Australia
"8\2w]" Catherine A McCarty PhD, MPH, Mukesh B Nanjan PhD, Hugh R Taylor MD
.|KBQ
MI Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
a6 "-,Kg n Correspondence: Dr Cathy McCarty MPH, Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne,
T:*l+<? Victoria 3002, Australia. Email:
cathy@cera.unimelb.edu.au G^le91$ 78 McCarty et al.
|+Tq[5&R Finally, four pairs of census collector districts in four rural
Oh,]"(+ Victorian communities were randomly selected to recruit rural
5jsZJpk$ residents. A household census was conducted to identify
,#j'~-5 eligible residents aged 40 years and over who had been a
jaQH1^~l/- resident at that address for at least 6 months. At the time of
9D7i>e%,;- the household census, basic information about age, sex,
o`Q.;1(Y' country of birth, language spoken at home, education, use of
KESM5p"f corrective spectacles and use of eye care services was collected.
@jKB[S;JSn Eligible residents were then invited to attend a local
U,Fyi6{~ examination site for a more detailed interview and examination.
c-ql The study protocol was approved by the Royal Victorian
&BN#"- J Eye and Ear Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee.
=G`g-E2 Assessment of cataract
XmN8S_M>v A standardized ophthalmic examination was performed after
zxeT{AFPr? pupil dilatation with one drop of 10% phenylephrine
WJN)<+d hydrochloride. Lens opacities were graded clinically at the
d-TpY*v time of the examination and subsequently from photos using
P=Su)c the Wilmer cataract photo-grading system.12 Cortical and
5t-,5 posterior subcapsular (PSC) opacities were assessed on
mp
z3o\n retroillumination and measured as the proportion (in 1/16)
%a!gN of pupil circumference occupied by opacity. For this analysis,
:TkMS8 cortical cataract was defined as 4/16 or greater opacity,
<6X*k{ PSC cataract was defined as opacity equal to or greater than
gj
I>tz} 1 mm2 and nuclear cataract was defined as opacity equal to
W:K '2j or greater than Wilmer standard 2,12 independent of visual
gyuBmY acuity. Examples of the minimum opacities defined as cortical,
Zn[ppsz| nuclear and PSC cataract are presented in Figure 1.
ABcB-V4 Bilateral congenital cataracts or cataracts secondary to
(p<pF]. intraocular inflammation or trauma were excluded from the
.eLd0{JtN analysis. Two cases of bilateral secondary cataract and eight
!;0K=~(Y^ cases of bilateral congenital cataract were excluded from the
<T&v\DN analyses.
D}Sww5ZmP A Topcon® SL5 photo slit-lamp (Topcon America Corp.,
,e$6%R Paramus, NJ, USA) with a 0.1 mm slit beam of 9.0 mm in
-+0kay% height set to an incident angle of 30° was used for examinations.
RGrQ>'RL Ektachrome® 200 ASA colour slide film (Eastman
na"!"C
s3 Kodak Company, Rochester, NY, USA) was used to photograph
p}<60O"r$ the nuclear opacities. The cortical opacities were
~H1<