Visual acuity improvement after phacoemulsification cataract surgery in patients aged ≥90 years

BACKGROUND: Visual acuity (VA) outcomes after phacoemulsification cataract surgery in the very elderly (≥90 years) compared to those in younger patients remain unclear till date. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 138 (group 1) and 152 (group 2) eyes in patients aged ≥90 and < 80 years, respectively, with senile cataracts who underwent phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation between 2014 and 2016. Four highly experienced ophthalmic surgeons performed the procedures. Intra- and post-operative complications were compared between the two groups. To investigate the effectiveness of cataract surgery in improving best-corrected VA (BCVA) at 1 and 3 months postoperatively, multiple regression analysis was performed with variables of age, cataract grades, sex, and history of diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension. RESULTS: The intra- and post-operative complication rates were similar between the two groups. After adjusting for the difference in cataract grades, multiple regression analysis indicated that BCVA improvement was equally favorable in both groups at 1 and 3 months postoperatively but was less favorable in patients with a history of DM at 3 months postoperatively (P = 0.042). CONCLUSION: Phacoemulsification in patients aged ≥90 years improves VA as effectively and safely as it does in younger patients, at least when performed by experienced surgeons.