VISUAL FUNCTION IMPAIRMENTS IN RELATION TO GENDER, AGE, AND VISUAL-ACUITY IN PATIENTS WHO UNDERGO CATARACT-SURGERY

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the relationship between visual function impairment in 776 patients who had extracapsular cataract ex traction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation and gend er, age, preoperative visual acuity (VA) of both the operative and the contralateral eye, and presence of other ocular disease in the operat ive eye. Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Participants: 11 39 patients whose medical records were abstracted and who had cataract surgery performed at 1 of 10 participating academic medical centers i n 1990. Main Outcome Measure: In the 776 patients who had explicit sta tements about impairment of visual function documented in their medica l records, univariate and multivariable logistic analyses were used to assess the above relationship. Results: The most severe visual functi onal deficit that justified the cataract operation varied in relation to gender, age, and VA. On bivariate analysis, men were more likely to have impairment with employment, driving, and glare, whereas women we re more likely to have impairment with activities of daily living and recreational activities. Significant findings between visual impairmen t and the independent variables from the logistic regression models in cluded: (1) employment limitation and male gender (odds ratio [OR], 1. 92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-3.40); (2) employment limitatio n and younger age (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.050-0.28 for ages 70-79); (3) r ecreational impairment and older age (OR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.64-4.70 for ages 80+); (4) impairment in performing activities of daily living and female gender (OR, 0.72; 95% Ct, 0.53-0.98 for male gender); (5) impa irment in performing activities of daily living and worse VA in the op erative eye (OR, 5.13; 95% CI, 2.93-9.00 for VA < 20/100); (6) glare-a ssociated impairment and younger age (OR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.24-0.69 for age 80+); and (7) glare-associated impairment and better VA (OR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.067-0.38 for VA < 20/100). Conclusion: When deciding whethe r to perform cataract surgery, functional impairment must be considere d in relation to the age and the gender of the patient, for the type o f functional impairment varies in association with age and gender.