ABSTRACT
Lm"a3
Nb Purpose: To quantify the prevalence of cataract, the outcomes
G $:T! of cataract surgery and the factors related to
Z.<OtsQN unoperated cataract in Australia.
j*<H18^G Methods: Participants were recruited from the Visual
&(-+?*A`E Impairment Project: a cluster, stratified sample of more than
N|?"=4Z? 5000 Victorians aged 40 years and over. At examination
0J z'9 sites interviews, clinical examinations and lens photography
!.H< dQS were performed. Cataract was defined in participants who
=K~<& l8 had: had previous cataract surgery, cortical cataract greater
NMM0'tY~ than 4/16, nuclear greater than Wilmer standard 2, or
7NV1w*>/ posterior subcapsular greater than 1 mm2.
7"wr8 Results: The participant group comprised 3271 Melbourne
(S* T{OgO residents, 403 Melbourne nursing home residents and 1473
'@i/?rNi%N rural residents.The weighted rate of any cataract in Victoria
\-$wY
%7 was 21.5%. The overall weighted rate of prior cataract
w`&~m:R surgery was 3.79%. Two hundred and forty-nine eyes had
F\F_">5 had prior cataract surgery. Of these 249 procedures, 49
qasbK:} (20%) were aphakic, 6 (2.4%) had anterior chamber
b/HhGA0 intraocular lenses and 194 (78%) had posterior chamber
W2P(!q>r] intraocular lenses.Two hundred and eleven of these operated
ET;YAa* eyes (85%) had best-corrected visual acuity of 6/12 or
b1JXC=*@ better, the legal requirement for a driver’s license.Twentyseven
3Cmbt_WV (11%) had visual acuity of less than 6/18 (moderate
\/J>I1J vision impairment). Complications of cataract surgery
{fFZ%$ caused reduced vision in four of the 27 eyes (15%), or 1.9%
;NQ9A &$) of operated eyes. Three of these four eyes had undergone
L|pMq!@J intracapsular cataract extraction and the fourth eye had an
88x_}M^Fnl opaque posterior capsule. No one had bilateral vision
d"o5uo impairment as a result of cataract surgery. Surprisingly, no
~(bY-6z particular demographic factors (such as age, gender, rural
Q46^i7= residence, occupation, employment status, health insurance
BBuI|lr status, ethnicity) were related to the presence of unoperated
|`vwykhezO cataract.
3}R}|Ha
J# Conclusions: Although the overall prevalence of cataract is
M|8vP53=q quite high, no particular subgroup is systematically underserviced
8p D$/ in terms of cataract surgery. Overall, the results of
*g7BR`Bt]z cataract surgery are very good, with the majority of eyes
@'n0
75)h achieving driving vision following cataract extraction.
d8D0 28d Key words: cataract extraction, health planning, health
cG!\P
: re services accessibility, prevalence
g{PEplk INTRODUCTION
V'b$P2 ?^ Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and, in
w{F{7X$^ Australia, cataract extractions account for the majority of all
JR6r3W ophthalmic procedures.1 Over the period 1985–94, the rate
WSEw:pln of cataract surgery in Australia was twice as high as would be
Y#e,NN expected from the growth in the elderly population.1
:/A7Z<u, Although there have been a number of studies reporting
iYaS the prevalence of cataract in various populations,2–6 there is
zSd!n little information about determinants of cataract surgery in
6W\G i> the population. A previous survey of Australian ophthalmologists
[?>\] showed that patient concern and lifestyle, rather
px${
"K< than visual acuity itself, are the primary factors for referral
iW%~>`tT for cataract surgery.7 This supports prior research which has
G)8v~=Bv shown that visual acuity is not a strong predictor of need for
S(^HIJK cataract surgery.8,9 Elsewhere, socioeconomic status has
!i>d04u`% been shown to be related to cataract surgery rates.10
n58yR -" To appropriately plan health care services, information is
xovsh\s needed about the prevalence of age-related cataract in the
+'|nsIx, community as well as the factors associated with cataract
lrjVD(R=g surgery. The purpose of this study is to quantify the prevalence
q6PG=9d0B of any cataract in Australia, to describe the factors
(kTu6t* related to unoperated cataract in the community and to
({3Ap{Q} describe the visual outcomes of cataract surgery.
N:q\i57x METHODS
uH&B=w Study population
>PzZt8e Details about the study methodology for the Visual
Zg%tN#6y Impairment Project have been published previously.11
_\8jnpT: Briefly, cluster sampling within three strata was employed to
#w3J+U 6r recruit subjects aged 40 years and over to participate.
f(G1xw]]@Y Within the Melbourne Statistical Division, nine pairs of
TSD7R census collector districts were randomly selected. Fourteen
u`ryCZo#g nursing homes within a 5 km radius of these nine test sites
?b:Pl{? were randomly chosen to recruit nursing home residents.
OxPl0-]t Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (2000) 28, 77–82
@j!(at4B Original Article
#*q]^Is" Operated and unoperated cataract in Australia
TQu.jC Catherine A McCarty PhD, MPH, Mukesh B Nanjan PhD, Hugh R Taylor MD
1c{m
rsB Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
@ta:9wZ n Correspondence: Dr Cathy McCarty MPH, Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne,
}SC&6
B?G Victoria 3002, Australia. Email:
cathy@cera.unimelb.edu.au )Q62 I\ 78 McCarty et al.
-uxU[E Finally, four pairs of census collector districts in four rural
pSb tm74 Victorian communities were randomly selected to recruit rural
&XV9_{Hm residents. A household census was conducted to identify
(3K3)0fy eligible residents aged 40 years and over who had been a
/@|iI<| resident at that address for at least 6 months. At the time of
M(nzJ the household census, basic information about age, sex,
Pro?xY$E) country of birth, language spoken at home, education, use of
{Ef.wlZ corrective spectacles and use of eye care services was collected.
[|ZFei)r Eligible residents were then invited to attend a local
O Bcz'f~ examination site for a more detailed interview and examination.
aoZ |@x The study protocol was approved by the Royal Victorian
l;KrFJ6 Eye and Ear Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee.
@"`}%-b Assessment of cataract
zt:
!hM/Vt A standardized ophthalmic examination was performed after
z]r'8Jc pupil dilatation with one drop of 10% phenylephrine
-Uy)=]Zae hydrochloride. Lens opacities were graded clinically at the
\?]U*)B.r time of the examination and subsequently from photos using
h$kz3r;b," the Wilmer cataract photo-grading system.12 Cortical and
bJetqF6n posterior subcapsular (PSC) opacities were assessed on
Gn=b_! retroillumination and measured as the proportion (in 1/16)
)M.s<Y of pupil circumference occupied by opacity. For this analysis,
~9 .=t ' cortical cataract was defined as 4/16 or greater opacity,
{QM rgyQE PSC cataract was defined as opacity equal to or greater than
6`O,mpPu4G 1 mm2 and nuclear cataract was defined as opacity equal to
iq*im$9J or greater than Wilmer standard 2,12 independent of visual
&RYdSXM acuity. Examples of the minimum opacities defined as cortical,
o3dqsQE% nuclear and PSC cataract are presented in Figure 1.
y
Ne?a{ Bilateral congenital cataracts or cataracts secondary to
":$4/b6 intraocular inflammation or trauma were excluded from the
r@3-vLI!u analysis. Two cases of bilateral secondary cataract and eight
f-enF)z cases of bilateral congenital cataract were excluded from the
YK)m6zW5 analyses.
}yK7LooM A Topcon® SL5 photo slit-lamp (Topcon America Corp.,
[(@K;6o Paramus, NJ, USA) with a 0.1 mm slit beam of 9.0 mm in
VKl,m ;&