Cataract Surgery Visual Outcome and Associated Factors Among Adults Attended Jimma University Medical Center, Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Cataract is the leading cause of blindness and the second leading cause of visual impairment worldwide, accounting for 51% and 33% of all cases, respectively, in low- and medium-income countries bearing a disproportionately high burden. Hence, this study aimed to assess the visual outcome of age-related cataract surgery and identify factors associated with patients’ postoperative visual outcomes in Jimma University Medical Center, Southwest Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 386 cataract surgery patients from January 1, 2016, to December 30, 2017. The study participants were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected by reviewing the selected patients’ medical records using a pre-tested checklist, entered into EpiData version 3.1, and exported to SPSS 20 for analysis. Proportions, summary statistics, and tables were used for presentations of the findings. Binary logistic regression was carried out to identify independent predictors of visual outcome. Findings were presented with adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence interval. A p-value <0.05 was used to declare a statistically significant association. RESULTS: About 231 individuals (59.8%) had poor visual results following cataract surgery. Furthermore, age >70 (AOR = 3.64; 95% CI [1.35–9.82]), preoperative ocular co-morbidities (AOR = 2.34; [1.32–4.15]), incision-based cataract surgery (AOR = 7.11; [3.16–16.02]), compared phacoemulsification operated by resident surgeons (AOR = 2.19; [1.23–3.89]), presence of intraoperative complication (AOR = 3.41; [1.47–7.92]), lens remnant (AOR = 2.91; [1.11–4.92]), ocular inflammation (OR = 2.56; [1.34–4.92]), and striate keratopathy/corneal edema (AOR = 1.91; [1.07–3.44]) were significantly associated with poor visual outcome. CONCLUSION: The visual outcome following cataract surgery fall below WHO recommendation. In this study, age, ocular co-morbidities, surgical method, surgeon status, intraoperative complication, SK, and ocular inflammation associated with post-operative Uveitis and anterior chamber reaction were associated with a poor visual outcome.